When the Piper pipes
by WiseAvenger
Summary: War is upon Konoha. Men, young and old alike, are being called to protect the village. They must leave the ones they love behind... InoShika, slight NaruSaku, NejiTen, and HinaShino.
1. The Piper Pipes

This story is inspired by the song, "The Call" by Regina Spektor from the Prince Caspian OST and Walter Blythe from the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery. Sadly, I don't own Naruto or said inspirations. I hope you enjoy this!

- - - - -

Uzumaki Naruto was unusually quiet that day as he walked home from an emergency call one afternoon. Sakura was walking beside him, chatting all the while about the beautiful weather and the effect of spring on everyone. True enough, it was a lovely spring day. The snow had melted but there were still little, white caps on random grass patches. Although it was almost nightfall, there were dew drops on the grass that paved the streets of Konoha where the snow had melted. Flower buds were also peeking out of their little security of leaves. The sun was setting on the horizon, making the sky look ablaze with violet, yellow, and orange slanted rays. Truth be told, it was sort of romantic.

Sakura didn't seem to notice the difference until the time for their parting came. She noticed that Naruto looked a little bit older. The shock of hair on his head didn't seem as a lively yellow as it did hours ago. His blue eyes had something deep in them, like he was thinking of something. Also, he was looking at the ground. She stooped down to see his face. She frowned as she saw that he was looking forlorn, as if something important had been robbed of him.

"Naruto." She said. "Is something wrong?"

Naruto sprang back to life and scratched the back of his head. "So sorry, Sakura-chan. I was just thinking about how hungry I actually was... Heh heh... Sorry, Sakura-chan. I can't walk you home any longer. I have to go now!"

"It's fine. I don't need a walk home anyhow."

But Naruto did not react as he usually did. Knowing Naruto, Sakura knew that something was very wrong. If something bad had happened to Sasuke, surely he would have told her. Tsunade would also let her know. She knew it was not Sasuke. It was not the ramen either. The two of them had eaten two hours before they went to the meeting. The question played on her mind like the wind playing on a harp's string on a windy day. She sighed sadly as she watched him leave her.

- - - - -

Shikamaru yawned. He stretched his arms high up above him and muttered his favorite phrase. Chouji took an extra-large bag of potato chips, opened it, and stuffed all of them in his mouth. When he was done with the first bag, he took another from his pack and ate it too in the same way. Bags after bags followed, all eaten in the same way. Shikamaru glanced sideways at him as he did this. He yawned.

"Yo, Chouji. You shouldn't worry about it much."

"I can't help it, Shikamaru." He said, stuffing more chips in his mouth. "I really can't. You can't understand me 'cause you don't have anyone like Maia to care for."

"Tch." Shikamaru said, expressing his disgust. "How troublesome..."

"What about you?" Chouji said after a long pause. "You don't feel scared one bit about it."

"You don't know how hard it feels like..." Shikamaru said in a whisper. He looked up at the crimson sky. "...To not tell someone how much you love that person. I'm scared inside."

"I don't seem to get what you're saying." He opened another bag of chips. "Guess it comes with the IQ."

The two walked on in silence, each one to his own thoughts. Shikamaru was thinking about a hundred million strategies while Chouji was thinking about food rations. The pineapple-haired ninja was just about to complete a complex plan with a 97.6% chance of success when suddenly, there was a girl's voice calling to them. He glanced behind him and noticed that he and his companion had unconsciously passed by the Yamanaka flower shop. It was the long way around and it was not to his lazy liking but what brought them there is a mystery. Whether it was by chance or just luck, none of them were sure. But Shikamaru was thankful in the end that they had passed by. Presently, though, he was quite annoyed and pretended not to hear.

"Shikamaru!" Ino called out from inside the shop. "I know you can hear me!"

Shikamaru looked away and pretended to keep walking. True enough, he was never good in pretending to not hear. However, it seemed that Chouji was good in it. Ino did not call to him twice like she did to Shikamaru. Chouji just went on walking like he did. Actually, he was deep in thought about food rations that he was not aware of anything else around him except watery soup and stale bread. Shikamaru scowled and went in. Ino was on the counter as usual but there was something strange about her expression. He went closer as she bade him to do so. He sat down on a stool and laid his head on the counter. She lifted her hand and stroked his hair but he did not flinch. He actually seemed to like it. He unusually liked the feeling of her slim fingers on his thick, wiry hair.

"Problem?" He asked.

"I just heard the news..."

He looked up to see her cerulean eyes fill with tears. He winced. He knew what would happen next. She'd burst crying and he'd have no luck in consoling her. How troublesome. Why does he get in these type of situations anyway? Absentmindedly, he took his handkerchief from his pocket and began to dab it on her eyes. She smiled wanly when he finished. Then Shikamaru realized how beautiful her smile was. Unique and alluring. He would treasure it when he went away. Emotional baggage.

"Hey, don't cry." He said, yawning. "Seeing you girls here crying makes it hard for us guys to leave Konoha."

"I know. I just can't help it." She took a tall lily in her hands and turned it around her fingers. "I'm sorry."

"No... It's alright. At least emotional baggage doesn't weigh as much as material baggage."

Ino smiled. "I see you've got a sense of humor, at least. Very useful in these times."

Shikamaru sighed. "Sounds like you don't feel like talking at all. Maybe I better leave you alone." Then he thought about Ino crying alone in that dark and lonely place. Just the thought scared him. "But I guess not." He added quickly and resumed his sitting position.

"Thanks."

"Eh? For what?"

"For... For just being here." She touched his hand lightly. "You know my dad's going too and it'd be a huge blow to me if... If... If..."

He handed her the handkerchief. "You shouldn't think about those things. You weren't made for them anyway."

"But it's... It's inevitable."

"You don't know how much it hurts to leave Konoha for war."

"I... I'll join the nurses."

"You better do..." He said, nodding. "To pass up the time... So you wouldn't think about those things."

Minutes passed with none of them speaking. Both were looking outside, into the now dark blue sky. Thin wispy clouds hung about the vast expanse of endless blue. A cool wind from the west was blowing, sending fallen leaves spiraling in the air as if in a frenzied dance. Ino stared at a trash bin where the dead flowers were placed. She wondered, as she gazed at the pile, if dead soldiers were treated in the same way.

"Shikamaru... What would happen if... If you died there?"

"Basically, I'd die and you'd have no lazy bum around to hang around anymore. Wouldn't you be happy if that happened?" Shikamaru answered sarcastically. "Bah... That was a stupid question, Ino."

"I didn't mean that kind of answer. I meant... What would they to you?"

Shikamaru didn't reply at first. He had never really given it much thought yet. "I'm not sure." He answered a few minutes later. "Maybe they'll just leave us there to rot. We'll never be given a proper burial." He lit a cigarette. "Pretty evil, huh?"

"Won't you feel bad?.. If you see yourself from above..."

"Or below." He muttered.

"Just rotting away in some patch of unknown land?"

"Well, of course I'll feel bad. Anybody will." He paused and looked at Ino in the eye. "What would you do if you found out I died over there and they left me to rot for life? How would you feel?"

Ino looked down to hide the tears that were threatening to fall. "Of course I'll... I'll feel sad. You were my friend, after all..."

"Just a friend?" Shikamaru mused, all of a sudden.

Ino looked at him, evidently surprised. "What?" She asked.

"No. Nothing. Forget it. Tch." Shikamaru turned away to hide the blush that was spreading on his cheeks. "I have to go anyway. See you around."

"Wait!"

"What?"

"When... When will you leave?" Ino raised her head, showing him two trails of tears on her cheeks.

"You'll see us leave?" He whined. "You girls will just cry and whine. You don't have to go."

"But I want to!" She insisted. "I want to see... I want to see you guys leave."

"Guess you'd be happy to see us..." He complained, shrugging his shoulders. "Alright. Tuesday of next week."

Shikamaru left the flower shop. Outside, the sky was dark and starless. Evening had slipped in quickly. Thick clouds were on the sky, blotting out the full moon. A cool breeze was blowing. He felt a sudden pang of sorrow over leaving this place... Over leaving Ino alone on nights like this...

- - - - -

Tenten sat on the park swing. It was night time, perhaps around 7 or 8, but Hyuuga Neji had told her to meet him there. So here she was, waiting, pushing herself on the swing every minute or so to entertain herself. She had been waiting for over an hour and she was bored. Nothing to do but look at the swaying leaves. She sighed and thought about how she should not even be here. She should be at home, sharpening her tools or mending her dress. If only it wasn't Neji, she would have graciously declined but it was him so there was no declining on his part. Neji was a very sensitive person. She could tell from personal experience.

Finally, after a few more moments of drawing on the sand with one foot, Neji appeared from behind the trees. He was wearing the usual long Hyuuga robe but he wore a different kind of expression. He appeared to be greatly troubled. He sat on the other swing beside Tenten and looked at the sky. His hands were shaking. It was unusual to see him so flustered.

"Have you heard of the war, Tenten?" He asked, not daring to look at her.

"No." She answered glibly.

"You sound bored."

"You always guess correctly." She said, smiling. "I thought you'd never come."

"Of course I will come. I have something to tell you."

"Go on with it now."

"We are being called to war, Tenten. I don't how long it will last but..."

Tenten looked up at his face, so ashen. She noticed that he had been crying, or as near to crying as he could get. Maybe that's why he wasn't looking at her. Maybe because he was afraid that she'd laugh at him. So in that one moment, she did what she dared not do. Slowly, she reached up her hands and touched his, taking his left hand onto her right. He didn't move. There was no reaction on his part.

"Are you afraid?" She asked softly.

"Afraid? No." Neji now looked steadily at her. "It's something else. Something more deep than fear. Deeper than sorrow."

Tenten looked at him, sadly. Hyuuga Neji was feeling love. Love over someone. Even she knew that. Any girl would be able to notice at first glance. But who could it be? For sure, it would never be her. That alone was utterly impossible.

"Tenten, I don't what I feel but I know I need you... And that's why I asked you to come. That's why I don't want to leave. That's why I'm telling you these things..." He stood up to leave, turning away from her gaze. His usual proud demeanor had come back. "That's all. You can go now."

She squeezed his hand tightly. "Whatever you do..." She said with a smile. "Don't die, okay?"

Neji nodded and smiled down at her. He took her up in his arms and locked her in a tight embrace. She was confused and shocked but nevertheless, she yielded to his embrace because it might be the first and the last that they would be able to share...

- - - - -

Tuesday morning. The sky was dreadfully filled with thick, black clouds. A fog hung on Konoha and a light drizzle was pouring. Everywhere one looks, it was grey, not just with the weather, but also with the emotions of people. Grief. Sadness. Sorrow. They reigned supreme in the village that day. Everyone, daughters and mothers, were weeping over their loved ones who would go to war for the village.

Sakura looked at all the men's faces one by one. Men who would go to war. Men who would fight for the village. Men who would die for the village. Men who would die alone. She looked at the women. Women who were brave to let their loved ones go. Women who would weep. Women who would suffer. Women who would probably die of grief.

No one knew how long the war would last. Some say it would go on for less than a year, that the men of Konoha would be able to finish it in a matter of months. Sakura believed in her heart that this would be. What with the Kyuubi on their side, they could win any battle. She glanced at Naruto. He was laughing with the other boys he'd go with: Shikamaru, Chouji, Sai, Neji, Lee, Kiba, Shino. It was funny how he looked so happy... But on the inside, she knew that he was suffering.

"Looking brave, aren't they?" Said a cheerful voice behind Sakura. "Are you glad to see Naruto go, Sakura?"

"Ino." Sakura said, turning around. "Actually... I..."

"They are men. They will lust for blood." The blond said, smiling as she watched them talk animatedly.

"I... I know. I know."

"Won't you say goodbye to Naruto? He's calling you, Sakura-chan. You better go. For all we know it could be the last..."

"Ino! You shouldn't be saying that! You know it's rude!"

"Why, I wasn't referring to Naruto! I was referring to you. You'd probably die of sorrow." Ino said goodnaturedly. "Naruto is calling you. Go, go! He looks impatient."

Sakura ran to Naruto's side wherein he led her away from the crowd, talking to her cheerfully, as if nothing was happening. Ino watched her best friend go, forcing a smile on her pretty face. It would be more terrible if Naruto never really got to telling her how he felt. Everyone in Konoha saw his affection for her. It was only Sakura who never noticed. As she was contemplating over this, Ino heard the shuffling of feet behind her.

"What a drag..." Said a familiar voice. "You're here? Never thought you'd come."

"Of course I'd come to see my father go." She said, turning around to smile at her companion. Perhaps the last time she would see him in good condition, with a complete body...

"Tch. The other day you were all sulky and dramatic... And today you're all jolly. What's up with you girls anyway?" He said, annoyed.

"Well... Didn't you say that crying will just make it hard for you guys to go? So..." She smiled. "Even if it hurts, I'll try to keep smiling. For all of you."

"Hmph." Shikamaru sneered at her. "You're taking things too literally."

He looked around to make sure no one was looking. Then, when he was positive no one was paying attention to the two of them, he bent down and kissed Ino on the forehead. "_I'll come back when it's over_. I promise. _No need to say goodbye_."

Ino couldn't hold it anymore. The sorrow she felt inside was too much to handle and now Shikamaru was telling her this. A tear fell down her ivory cheeks. It was soon followed by another. And another. Until she was crying. Shikamaru looked at her, puzzled.

"What's up with you girls? The first minute you're all happy and the next thing all you do is cry... Tch. How troublesome..."

"It's your fault..!" She said in between sniffs and tears. "You shouldn't have said those things..!"

"What's so dramatic about them? After all they were..." He smiled pretty awkwardly. "From the heart."

Ino looked up, wiping her tears with her hands. "Really? You were sincere?"

"Hmph..." He dropped the smile and shook his head. "Fine. If you don't want to believe I was, then don't."

Ino smiled and embraced him tightly, possibly for the first and last time. "I'm glad." She said. "Please come back. Come back to us."

Shikamaru patted her on the back. "You take care of yourselves, too. Help my mother, okay? She gets miserable when she's all alone."

Ino nodded. How happy she was! Shikamaru had left her a promise and she knows for certain that he will keep it. No matter how long the war will last, that promise will remain sacred and unbroken.

- - - - -

The time for their departure arrived and each man hugged or kissed his own woman. Naruto said a shy goodbye to Sakura, waving at her. Shikamaru nodded back at his mother. Inoichi patted his daughter on the head and reassured her that he would come back, for the mean time she would have to take care of the shop and help her mother whenever she can. Shino whispered in Hinata's ear and the words sort of made her blush. Neji said goodbye to Tenten rather coldly while Lee gave her a huge bear hug amidst crying. He also hugged Sakura tightly, much to Sakura's annoyance and disappointment.

Finally, it was time to go. The men ran to the forest, looking back to say a few more things or just to take one last look at their loved ones. Sakura kept waving goodbye to Naruto as long as he was still in sight. It didn't matter whether he was looking or not. What was important was that she was able to let her emotions out. When the last of the Konoha ninjas had disappeared, she stood beside Ino.

"So... How was it?" Ino asked, looking at the direction of the forest. "How did he say goodbye?"

"He... He..." Sakura blushed. "He kissed me and asked me if I wanted to be Mrs. Uzumaki Naruto someday. Of course I said... Yes."

"That was good." She commented, smiling. It was a pretty low level reaction to what Sakura said but, due to heartache, Ino couldn't afford a much better reply. "Shikamaru promised he'd come back and I believe it." She looked at Sakura in the eye. "We have to keep faith. For all of them."

"Of course." Sakura replied. "We have to be strong."

Together they looked at the horizon, to the direction where the men had left. Dust was still flying in the air, showing where their men had tread. Sakura, Tenten, Ino, and Hinata stared at the dust. None of them knew what was before them. Or how long the war would last. But they were sure of one thing: Their friends would surely come back.

- - - - -


	2. Promises

The woods was mostly quiet as the men crossed it. Their long procession had been nothing but a silent one. Occasionally, someone wold talk but then silence would reign again. Usually, it was Uzumaki Naruto who made noises, probably because he was the one who trips the most. He must've been nervous because of the promise he left to Sakura.

Birds hung on the nearby branches but, strangely enough, none of them sang. They just stared at the people below them, cocking their little heads at them, as if to say that they were foolish to face the unknown enemy. Naruto shivered whenever he saw them. He felt a strange tingling in his spine.

"Yo, Chouji." He said, nudging the boy beside him. "Don't you think the birds are acting strangely?"

"Yeah. I know." Chouji replied, munching on some barbecue-flavored chips. "Just don't look at them but they sure look tasty."

"Bah. You always say that..."

They continued to walk onwards through the quiet wood. As usual, there were no noises, not even from Naruto. The wood was getting stranger and stranger still. Not only birds, but also other animals like long-tailed monkeys, hung about the branches, staring at the passing people. They looked on with their huge brown eyes, not moving nor shouting at each other. There were even fallen fruits where the monkeys had "accidentally" dropped them.

"We rest here!" A man's voice from the front line said firmly when they reached a large meadow. "You have five minutes of rest! There is a brook by that way if anyone wants to drink! There are fruit trees in the forest if you want to eat!"

With this, half of the men dropped their bags and ran to the brook. They were very thirsty for they had not taken a break for a straight seven hours of walking. A fourth of the men went to the forests and climbed the fruit trees, quickly grabbing what they can and stuffing them into their pockets. They also threw down some fruits to their comrades below. This way, everyone had a share of food.

Shikamaru lay down on the soft grass and rested his eyes. It was only seven hours since they left Konoha but he already felt homesick. Never in all his missions had he ever felt this way. Before, he spent two or more weeks away from Konoha and not once did he feel homesick. He opened his eyes and stared at the thick cumulus clouds. Presently, a raindrop fell, followed by another. And another. In a few seconds, the place was completely wet. Some of the men ran for shelter on the woods but the others remained.

"Shikamaru."

Shikamaru looked at the person sitting beside him. It was Chouji, holding out a bag of chips to him. "I thought you'd be famished after seven hours of walking. Here, take some."

Shikamaru took out five pieces and stuffed them into his mouth. "Nice of you to share your food. Usually you don't."

"It's the war, Shikamaru. We have to help each other."

"Right."

Then, Naruto ran to them, his jacket filled with hordes of berries, oranges, and other fruits. He grinned and offered them some, to which the boys agreed. Of course, Chouji greedily ate the food given him. Shino, Kiba, and Neji followed suit. They were carrying various foods and some flasks of water. The boys shared them all.

Pretty soon, the five minute break was over and everyone was ready to start again. The man who had called for the break gave orders to the men and arranged them into lines. Then he gave the order to walk. As soon as the men entered the second forest, fifty or so ninjas from the Water country appeared from the trees and bushes. The men took their kunais from their packs and readied themselves for the attack, thinking that there were only fifty ninjas. But they were wrong. As soon as the fifty ninjas had positioned themselves, another fifty appeared from the left side, fifty more from the right side, and fifty more from behind them. All in all, there were 200 hundred Water ninjas. The men slackened to the enemy's numbers. Surely, there were more Water ninjas around. Nevertheless, the onslaught began, Konoha ninjas killing the Water ninjas and vice versa.

- - - - -

_Sounds of metal clanging. Bones crushing. Bodies falling dead in the dirt. Blood on the grass. Open wounds. Ninjas falling dead. More sounds of metal. Flying shuriken. Everywhere. Spatter of blood. Excessive sweating. Dead people. All around. Kunais stuck on their backs, mouth open. Shouts of pain. Shouts of the dying and the suffering._

Sakura woke up with a start. Unknowingly, she had slept in the nurses' station.

_It was just a dream... All but a dream..._

Ino walked up from the corridor and went closer to Sakura. She was wearing a nurse's outfit similar to what Sakura was wearing. Apparently, she had joined the nurses as soon as the men had left.

"Ino." Sakura said, smiling wanly. "What a surprise."

Ino softly giggled. "I just joined the nurses. I told Shikamaru I would..." She sat down beside the pink-haired kunoichi. "Is there something bothering you? You look worried."

"I... I had this dream just now. Naruto and the others... They were fighting ninjas from the Water country. I saw it all so clearly... I saw it all..." A tear rolled down her cheek. "...They were dying. The men of Konoha are dying... They were not strong enough to hold the enemy... They were surprised. It was an ambush and one by one... One by one they fell, one after the other... Like human dominoes."

"Sakura... I thought you'd act better than this!"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Sakura asked, surprised.

Ino curled her fist into a ball and showed it to Sakura. "You must believe in them! You know they'll go through those ninjas! You know Naruto could do it! All of them could do it! And soon... Soon, Sakura... Soon they'll come back, bringing victory! Don't you see it? They'll all come back alive! Naruto, Kiba, Lee, Shikamaru, and the others! All of them will come back! And Konoha will smile again. Can't you see that? At least believe that, Sakura... Believe it!"

Sakura nodded slowly, digesting into her head what Ino just said. "Right. You're right."

- - - - -

Shikamaru crossed kunais with a Water ninja and easily overthrew him. He panted and felt the sweat trickle down his head. He looked around and saw fallen ninjas all around. At least a hundred of the Konoha men still stood. He breathed a sigh of relief and turned around to protect himself from a coming ninja.

- - - - -

_Konoha Senpuu_! Lee planted a powerful kick on a Water ninja's face and took him down. He then proceeded to do a powerful series of kicks and punches, sending the ninjas around him flying into the air, only to fall on the blood-drenched soil. He panted heavily and gave a thumbs-up sign at Maito Gai who was thirty feet in front of him.

- - - - -

Naruto jumped into the air and formed the necessary hand seals. _Tajuu KageBunshin_! Around twenty copies of Naruto dived down and began to attack the Water ninjas. This way, Naruto figured that it would be much quicker to fend off the enemy. What with his almost unlimited supply of chakra (thanks to the Kyuubi) this certainly was a good idea. In just a few minutes, the enemy numbers receded greatly.

- - - - -

_Hakkeshou Kaiten_! The nearby enemies flew around and landed on the ground with a _thud_. Neji sighed. It seemed the enemies weren't decreasing no matter how hard they fight.

- - - - -

Finally, two hours passed and the enemies were successfully defeated. Everyone still standing cheered and sat down on the ground for a rest. Hatake Kakashi looked around. He was thankful that his students are still alive and are unscathed. However, around them, hundreds of ninjas were on the ground, some of them dead while some were unconscious but in need of medical help. Unfortunately, almost all of the medical people were dead, lying on the dirt. It looked like the enemy made sure that they won't have a chance to heal comrades quickly. Luckily, though, no more enemy ninjas jumped out of the bushes. They'll just have to help their companions. Groggily, he stood up and ordered the remaining ninjas to help everyone who needs medical help.

"How troublesome..." Shikamaru muttered under his breath.

Medicine was not his specialty. This was the girls' line but he could do nothing. An order was an order. He stood up lazily and looked around. His eyes widened with fear. His father, Shikato Nara, and Chouji's father, Akimichi Chouza, were sitting, huddled beside one fallen ninja. He recognized quickly who it was: Yamanaka Inoichi. He ran quickly. Never mind the fallen bodies he trod on. Nor the blood that stuck to his pants and sandals. What mattered was Ino's father.

Shortly before they left Konoha, Ino had asked him for a special request. She asked him to watch over her father and protect him. She knew how frail he was and he was getting old. Most likely, rheumatism was attacking him in some places around his legs. He had to be watched. She knew also knew how stubborn her father was. No matter how many times Ino and her mother told him, he would ignore their pleas. What mattered to him was Konoha.

_"So please take care of him..."_

Shikamaru ran. And ran. And ran. He arrived, breathless, and looked at his father. Shikato's face was grave. He knelt beside the two other men.

"How is he?"

"It looks bad." Chouza said, worry in his voice. "Seems he can't move his arms. Must be broken."

"He was also complaining of a headache." Shikato added. "I guess his head was pretty badly hurt too."

"We have to make an inspection of the wounds on his body."

Shikamaru found three wounds that were rather critical and affected vital parts of the body. He bit his lips. If the wounds weren't only too life-threatening, he might be able to take care of them but this was obviously beyond his ability.

"Inoichi-san must be taken to the hospital." Shikamaru said at last. "Immediately. We must send for some men to bring him there and--"

"No." Shikato said. "We can't do that. He wanted to die here. He wanted to die in this battlefield. We have to let him--"

"No! We have to save him! No matter what! I'll call some men right now."

"He's right, Shikamaru." Chouza said. "Inoichi would want this. I'm sorry."

Shikamaru was at a loss for words. He had failed Ino. He had not completed her request. He was unworthy of her love. He had let Yamanaka Inoichi die. He remembered clearly how her voice had sounded when she asked him. Worried. Sad. Full of grief... And care.

"I'm sorry, Shikamaru." Shikato said, patting his son on the back. "You did well but we couldn't save him if we brought him to Konoha. He wouldn't make it. The journey itself is too risky and too far. Plus, we don't know if enemies are around the forest, watching us. We'll just risk more men that way."

"But... The promise..." Shikamaru said, looking at Inoichi's face. Two minutes ago, the man had stopped breathing. "The promise is broken."

"It was not your fault, Shikamaru." Chouji said, walking near to them. "It was by chance. It was fate, that's what it was."

"Listen to your friend, son." Shikato nodded toward Chouji. "He's right. You couldn't do anything to save him. We just have to accept the truth."

Shikamaru stood up and retreated to the seclusion of the forest. He sat down below a tree and cried silently. He learned an important lesson.

_Sometimes, promises had to be broken. Sacrifices had to be made. All for freedom. All for peace._

- - - - -

**Author's Note**: Hmm... Hmm... What do you think?


	3. Fate

"Shikamaru." Chouji said, walking closer to the seated figure beneath the tree. "All the men who need help are taken care of. We'll be leaving soon. I thought you'd want to know."

"And what about the dead?"

"They are putting them on piles and plan to burn them as an honor to their lives."

"Will we leave them here?"

"We can't possibly send them all back to Konoha, can we? So what the others decided to do was to let their ashes fly with the wind."

"Can I talk to our leaders?"

"Yeah, sure. They're over there."

Chouji pointed to a group of men, between the ages of thirty and forty, arranged in a circle in the middle of the meadow. Shikamaru stood up and winced at the bright sunlight. The rain had stopped an hour before and the clouds had parted to reveal the sun.

The meadow smelled like a huge trash bin. Dead bodies were piled on top of the other on the west side of the meadow. From the air, huge splotches of still wet blood were scattered along the grass. Some men were dragging bodies into the huge pile until it almost reached the high tree tops of the forest. All in all, Konoha had lost a hundred good men.

Shikamaru walked to the direction of the meeting, glancing around once in a while. He looked at the huge pile of dead bodies and was thankful that the person he was looking for was not there. Naruto and his bunshins were helping with the clean-up, so were Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino. The others were resting in the forest.

"Excuse me." He said, interrupting the conversation. "But I have a special request."

A man in a green suit looked at him. "Make it quick, kid. We're busy, you know?"

"There is this man named Yamanaka Inoichi. He was one of the people who died. I want to take him back to Konoha personally."

The man scratched his head and looked at the huge pile behind them. "Well, I don't know, kid. He could be in there, you know? And you can't possibly get back here in just a matter of minutes. You'd have to walk long distances back and forth. We possibly can't wait for you. The guys need us at the front in twenty hours. After we finish piling the corpses over here," He pointed at the pile. "We'll light a fire, watch it for a while, and then leave. You think you can make it?"

"He's not there. I saw him over there while I was getting over here. I'll catch up with you guys, don't worry." He looked at his father. "This'll be quick."

The man looked at his companions and they all nodded. "Sure, kid. Just make sure you get back alive, alright?"

Shikamaru nodded and walked towards Yamanaka Inoichi's corpse. A few flies hung about but he swatted them all away. A smell hung over the corpse but Shikamaru didn't care. What mattered was bringing him back. Painstakingly, he carried the man on his back and walked off.

Chouji, Naruto, and the others looked at him as he entered the forest and shook their heads sadly.

- - - - -

"Miss Ino. Someone is asking for you." Hinata appeared from the door.

Ino looked up from her work and giggled. "You don't have to call me 'miss', Hinata. Ino is fine. Anyway, who is it?"

"Uhmm... I..." The Hyuuga toyed with her fingers. "I can't really say... You have to see for yourself."

Ino nodded and stood up. She thanked Hinata and went out of the hospital. A tired-looking Shikamaru greeted her. He was looking awful but who cares? She ran to him and gave him an embrace. She smelled his familiar smell and was happy to see him. True, they had been gone for only about seventeen hours but she already missed him. You can't blame her, especially when he left such an important promise.

"Shikamaru." She looked into his eyes. "What are you doing here? Why are you back already? Did something happen? Is the enemy retreating? Did we win?"

Shikamaru looked at the wrapped corpse behind him. He hated to see her cry in front of him when she had been very happy a few minutes ago. But it had to be said. With a cracked voice, he whispered to her what had happened. Her eyes widened in shock and she slumped on the ground, her legs failing her. He sat down beside her and tried to comfort her, which he knew would be in vain. She would not stop... Not yet.

"I have to go." He said after he had finished. "I have to catch up with them."

He looked at her, sitting there on the ground, crying. He closed his eyes and restrained himself. Doing something would just make it hard for him to go. He turned around and walked away.

- - - - -

It was three in the morning and the Konoha men arrived at the camp. Thousands of tents were pitched around the huge grass field. Little lanterns served as lights to the men, as huge camp fires would reveal their position to the enemy. A middle-aged man in a blue sweatshirt and flak jacket greeted them. He was sweating profusely and was jogging in place. He reached out a calloused hand to Kakashi.

"Greetings, sirs." He smiled, showing a gold tooth somewhere in his mouth. "We guys here have been waiting for you ever since yesterday. We thought you'd never come."

"Oh..." Kakashi stared at the outstretched hand and felt someone nudge him from behind. Reluctantly, he shook the man's hand. "Thank you for waiting for us. There was a delay."

"That's alright with us, good sirs. We've been trained to wait patiently for allies."

"Are you this group's commander?"

"No, sir. Right this way."

The man, whose name was Akira, showed them the way to the middle, where the biggest tent was pitched. Ninjas from different countries looked at them from every side. Some of them sneered while some shook their heads. Some muttered under their breaths insult to the village of Konoha. Uzumaki Naruto could hear them clearly. The insults thrown infuriated him. He curled his fists into a ball.

"Tch." A man to Naruto's right said. "Are these all them Konoha ninjas? Took 'em a long time and this is all they've got? Why'd we have to wait on them? Who are they? Something special? Tch... They all look puny, especially that kid in the orange jacket."

This infuriated Naruto more and he leapt at the man to hit him. The man was rather surprised at the movement and used his hand to block the attack. However, just as Naruto's fist was about two centimeters away from the man's face, Kakashi grabbed Naruto's jacket from behind.

"Calm down, Naruto." He whispered. "Fighting that guy won't bring us any good. Most likely, it will cause trouble."

Naruto stood up straight and nodded. He looked at the man evilly. The man saw this and scrambled away, clearly knowing what that look meant.

- - - - -

The tent smelled of cigarette smoke and liquor, making Kakashi and the others feel dizzy. A table was placed on the back and a man was sprawled on the chair behind it. Hundreds of scrolls were scattered around the room. Shards of broken glass were also on the floor. There was a meal prepared on the table, consisting mainly of watery pea soup and cold rye bread, but it was untouched. The man on the chair looked up. Apparently, he was smoking a cigarette.

"Hey, you." He pointed at the guy who brought the Konoha ninjas to the tent. "Who are these guys?"

"They're the ninjas from Konoha, sir. They wanted to see the commander of this group so I brought them to you."

"Oh... You may leave."

Immediately, the man in the blue sweatshirt left. The commander sat upright and studied the faces before him. "You are the people from Konoha?" He finally asked, after a long silence.

"Yes." Maito Gai replied. "We apologize for arriving late. There was a delay along the way."

"So I heard..." The man took up a paper and read it. "There was an ambush, eh?" He said, after scanning the paper. "And you lost a hundred men?"

"Yes. We were ambushed on the woods near the borders of the Fire and River countries."

"That's too bad..." He put down the paper. "Well, it's too bad for us, you know? We lost nearly a thousand good men since last week. The front's been lacking some men, you know? And we were waiting for you... But it turns out we couldn't rely on you anyhow." To this, Naruto was ready to attack but, again, Kakashi stopped him. "Oh well, life disappoints... What's more, you people look puny yourselves. Seems those ninjas who ambushed you were accurate in finishing off the strong ninjas, huh?" He sighed. "We shouldn't have called on Konoha for help... But what can I do? You're already here. The best thing to do now would be to show you people to your tents. A man is waiting for you outside and he'll lead you to your tents... All of us don't get a good night's sleep here since everything's scarce. Thought you might want to know since rumors say that Konoha ninjas are pampered and vain..."

- - - - -

"What?" Kiba whined as he looked at the food on his plate. "This is what you call food? This is nothing but watery soup and hard bread! You think someone could eat this?"

"Why don't you try it and see for yourself? It's really tasty once you get to eat it." Chouji said in between mouthfuls. "And you shouldn't judge food just because it looks weird."

"Tch." Kiba pushed the plate away. "I'm not going to eat if that's what they're going to serve us."

"You'll get hungry." The fat boy countered. "Hey, if you don't want that, can I have it?"

"Yeah sure, you can have it all. Geez..."

Happily, Chouji took Kiba's plate and placed it beside him. Once or twice, Akamaru had attempted to eat it but to no avail. Chouji's guard, when it came to food, was rather unbeatable. One will be having a hard time to get through it.

Meanwhile, Naruto looked at the dark, star-streaked sky. He wondered what Sakura would be doing and how long the war will take. Surely it wouldn't last long...

- - - - -

**Author's Note**: OMG... No one is reviewing... Oh well... Not all italicized words are from the song. Goshness... This took so long. Sorry. We're banned from the computer during weekdays. Updates will come weekly.


	4. Friends

The soft pattering of rain on the roof startled Ino, waking her up from her sleep. She moaned and rolled to her side. The clock on the bedside table blinked back at her. It was exactly 4 in the morning. She moaned once again and buried her face in the soft velvet pillow. It was too early to get up and go to the hospital for work. No one would be there yet, except for the nurses on night duty. And the sick patients.

Usually work started at 8 in the morning but she had taken a leave of absence prior to her father's death. But today was the day she would be going back. And here she was, awake at 4 in the morning with barely two hours of sleep.

The last few days had been frustrating for the Yamanaka household. Yamanaka Inoichi's death was a shock to Ino. Never in her life did the thought of dying cross her mind. Now here it was, right before her eyes. Her father's body. Dead. Nothing but a useless corpse. Dried blood covered most of his body because of the wounds he had received from the ambush but who was she to care? She was not reluctant when she gave him a last hug, nor when she gave him a final kiss on the brow. It was the last time she would see him. Her dearest father. An hour ago, his corpse had been taken to the mortuary where he was to be embalmed and thereafter, taken to his coffin.

She hated that place, the mortuary. It stunk of dried blood and the haunting smell of death. She had been there once. She and Sakura had taken a dead patient there. When the steel door was opened, a most atrocious smell greeted them. It made her want to vomit. An attendant in a dirty lab coat had helped them. She even remembered asking Sakura about cleanliness in the mortuary where in the pink-haired girl answered that cleanliness didn't matter there. Dead people were brought in the mortuary. And dead people were dirty. No matter how you'd want to be clean, there was simply no way to avoid being dirty.

But here she was. Waving goodbye to her dad while his body was being wheeled away in a stretcher. Her mom stood beside her, crying uncontrollably, while she just stood there with no expression at all. She was in shock. Utter shock.

Many nights had she spent curled up in her room half-covered in thick silk sheets while clutching the necklace her father gave her for her sixteenth birthday. Crying. Or cursing the people who caused his death. Either way, she felt grief. Shock. And denial.

"Ino." Her mother's soft voice called from behind the door. "Are you awake? I've brought you some food. Please open the door."

Ino sighed and flung the sheets on top of her. She wasn't ready yet. She wasn't ready to face her mom. Probably her mother's eyes would be swollen and red and puffy. Her collar wet with tears. Her mother thin and frail. She didn't want to see that. She didn't want to see the woman her father adored in such a condition. She shunned the thought away and pretended to sleep when she heard the door creak.

"Ino." Her mother repeated. The bed sagged, denoting that her mother had sat down. Probably near Ino. Sure enough, she felt a hand on her hair, stroking it carefully. This went on for a few minutes, her mother stroking her hair, Ino pretending to sleep.

"Dear. I know you're awake."

Slowly, Ino brought the sheets down. She sighed and looked at the ceiling, not wanting to see her mother's face.

"Ino, I brought you your breakfast. You'll be going back to the hospital today, right?"

Ino nodded in reply.

"Good. There's something that will stray your thoughts from..."

Her mother did not continue. Ino guessed it was because of the sadness inside her.

"You should eat your food while it's hot." She stood up to leave. "I'll be in the kitchen downstairs if you need me."

Ino now looked at her mother. In her mind, she had "that" picture. But reality is different from imagination. Her mother still looked the same. No traces of tears on her pale pink cheeks. Nor were her eyes red and puffy. In fact, she looked so much better than before.

"I'm glad you're going back to the hospital." Her mother smiled at her. "Good luck, dear."

As soon as the door closed, Ino looked at the tray of food beside her. Her stomach grumbled when she saw what was in it. She had not eaten much in the past few days. Whatever she ate would be going back up again, perhaps her digestive system was also grieving along with her.

A bowl of cereal was on the tray, along with a plateful of pudding. A glass of milk stood high in one of the corners. She wanted to cry. Her mother made her favorite dessert, like nothing happened. She felt a hollow pit in her stomach. Seems like her mother didn't even care for her father. She never cared. It hurt Ino to think that this might be the case. The only woman her father loved dearly didn't love him back. How could she? Yes, it was truly tragic.

- - - - -

"I'm going."

Her mother peeked back at her from the kitchen. "Dear, it's only 4:30 in the morning. Are you sure?"

"Yes." Ino replied coldly. She didn't feel like talking to her mother but the sandal she was trying to wear wouldn't cooperate. She fumbled with the sandal.

"Have you eaten your breakfast?"

"Yes." She lied. _Why won't this stupid sandal close properly?_

"I'm worried about you, dear. You haven't been eating for days."

"I'm okay."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." _Finally!_ "I'm going now."

"Take care, Ino."

She nodded and went out. The cold breeze greeted her and she pulled on her purple sheepskin coat to ward off the cool moisture. The rain had receded to a light drizzle a few minutes ago. However, the coat didn't help much. She still felt cold. So in order to bring heat to her body, she decided to jog all the way to the hospital. It was good exercise after all. The hospital wasn't really far. It was situated in the middle of Konoha and the Yamanaka home was only a few blocks away, thank goodness.

The sky was still dark and stars shone high up above. No sign of the first rays of the rising sun. A few houses had their lights turned on. Among them was Haruno Sakura's. Ino stopped outside and looked up at the window. She knew Sakura was in there, judging from the silhouette in the window. She picked up a stone and aimed for the window. The stone hit the target. _Tak tak tak._It fell on the ground and the window was jammed open by an enraged Sakura. The kunoichi looked down to find out who the culprit was. Actually, she had expected to see Naruto but was severely disappointed. It was Ino.

In a minute, Sakura was out, talking with Ino. It made her feel enlightened. Days had passed since their last conversation and Ino had never gone out from the Yamanaka house ever since. Ino's mother said that she was in her room all day, crying. It worried Sakura when she heard that her best friend and rival had not been eating. Yes, she usually went on a diet but it was not like her to starve herself to death. Even Ino knew the importance of nutrition.

"So how are you?" Sakura asked. "Have you moved on?"

"No..." Ino smiled at her wanly. "It's really hard. I wish it would just go away... The sadness."

"Would you like to come in?"

"No thanks. I'd prefer to stay outside."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"But what are you doing outside at this hour? It's too early."

"I can't sleep. I don't know why but I just can't..."

Sakura giggled. "You're probably worried about the guys, just like me. I can't sleep either."

"Could be."

Ino looked up the dark sky. Did she really worry about the guys? Or just for one guy?

"I wonder..." She mumbled. "I wonder if he made it..."

- - - - -

"He's here!" Naruto yelled, shaking Chouji. "He's here! Shikamaru is here!"

"What? What?" Chouji replied drowsily. "What was that? Sushi? Did you say sushi?"

"No, stupid! I said Shikamaru! Shikamaru is here!"

The boy's eyes shot open. "Are you sure? Where?"

"Outside! He's talking with Kakashi-sensei right now."

Naruto went from tent to tent, saying the same thing. Most of the ninjas were annoyed and kicked him out but Kiba, Shino, Neji, and Lee stood up without protest and shook Shikamaru's hand.

"It's good to see you again." Shino said. "You've been away for a long time."

"Yeah. I know." Shikamaru said, managing a shaky smile. "Sorry for that."

"We missed you!" Naruto screamed.

Shikamaru sighed. "I know. I know."

"Good to see you again, buddy." Chouji patted him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, you too."

"Looks like you haven't been eating well, Shikamaru." Kiba said. "We haven't been too but at least it looks like human food."

"That's good. I could use something like food..." He looked longingly at the tents. "And some rest."

"Rest won't take long." Neji replied. "We're needed at the front in about three or four hours."

Shikamaru groaned. Days and days of living off on wild berries and sleeping on hard ground had taken its toll on him. He felt like fainting anytime because of hunger and lack of sleep. There had been days when the predators, mainly bears and lions, had hindered him from sleeping. They lurked all around him, waiting for the chance to grab at the prey and eat it. Painstakingly, he endured.

All around him, he heard voices saying the same things over and over again. He felt pats on his shoulders and back. But none of this mattered. What mattered was sleep. Sleep. Sleep... In a few seconds, he was down on the ground, sleeping.

- - - - -

"Ino."

Ino woke up. She found out that she had been sleeping while on duty. It was a sin to sleep on duty, especially on a hospital. Surely the punishment would be severe. She looked up slowly from the counter and met Sakura's worried eyes. She sat bolt upright and looked at the pink-haired kunoichi in the eye.

"Yes?"

"You should go back home. You look tired and haggard."

"No, no, I'm alright. I can manage."

"But you have to at least get some sleep, you know?"

"I'm okay, really. Now you should go back to your work or Tsunade-sama will scold you."

Sakura insisted. "But, Ino..." She sat down beside her. "We can always make an exception."

"You don't have to treat me that way, Sakura. I'm fine. I swear."

She sighed. "You look like you're worried over so many things. You don't have to." She smiled dryly. "It will soon be over."

"I know..." Ino smiled back. "I know..."

- - - - -

A trumpet from the far end of the camp blew. Everyone stopped eating and looked at each other. The alarm sounded. The enemy is drawing nearer. The men sighed and put down their plates. It had always been this way. Every single day. It had become a routine. The enemy would attack and they'd fight back. Hours later, the enemy would retreat and the men would go back to their tents. A quarter of them were usually wounded or killed. The wounded would be brought to the small medical tent, although there was no assurance that the people brought there would come out alive.

Shikamaru sat up in his cot when he heard the alarm. Hastily, he gathered up his things and dressed. The commander would scold him if he wasn't there on time. He grabbed every weapon in sight and placed them on his shuriken bag.

The others were already up and about when he left his tent. Naruto was simply bursting with energy. Chouji was stuffing more and more potato chips in his mouth. He often did that when he was nervous or when something bothered him. Lee, also bursting with energy like Naruto, was kicking the air. Kiba and Akamaru yawned. Neji and Shino were, as always, calm. Shikamaru joined them and the seven of them ran to the front.

- - - - -

Shouts rang up from everywhere. Shouts of the wounded. Shouts of those still living. There was also the sound of metal clashing with each other. Probably kunais. Shikamaru turned around as he saw a shadow behind him. Just in time, he was able to block a Rain ninja's kunai. He pushed hard and the enemy did too. He struggled but after a few minutes, he succeeded. The Rain ninja fell on the ground, grasping a deep wound on his right shoulder. Shikamaru stared at the fallen ninja. The eyes of the man were fixed on him, faltering and asking for mercy, not wanting to be killed. It was as if the eyes said, "I have a family. I have a wife and three kids and I left them there in my country. My children are still young and they cannot work. I am the only one who works in my family. They need me. Please... Don't kill me! Have mercy!" Shikamaru raised the kunai to stab the man but the wavering eyes stopped him. He put down his uplifted hand and ran off to another enemy, leaving the man happy and contented. The Rain ninja crawled off to their camp for refuge. In his heart, he felt a surge of relief and gratefulness for the young man that spared his life.

Shikamaru wheeled to his right, again successful in blocking another Rain ninja. He wrestled hard and the ninja fell on the ground. Upon seeing this, he ran off to take down more ninjas. He was satisfied enough to see them fall and killing them was out of the question, after seeing the look on the man's eyes. Everyone whom he passed either cursed or swore to beat him up, especially those who belonged to different countries, but what could he do? His conscience was killing him. It was throbbing inside of him, even stronger than the need to kill. Even stronger than man's instinct to kill its kind. Even stronger than the thirst for blood.

"Hey there!" Chouji yelled as Shikamaru moved closer to him despite of the crushing crowds. "How's it going?"

"Fine over here. How about you?"

"Same! Glad we met. The guys and I rarely meet on the battlefield."

"I call it fate."

Chouji smirked and wheeled to his left, successfully stabbing a Rain ninja. Blood was spattered on his clothes. Shikamaru winced but, thankfully, the other didn't notice. Chouji just kept on fighting like there was no tomorrow. On the contrary, Shikamaru was content in just taking them down. His excuse later on? Troublesome, that's what killing was. Nothing but trouble.

- - - - -

No one saw it coming. Neither did Shikamaru. It just came in a blur. All but a flash. But it hurt. Deeply. An unnoticed Rain ninja had sneaked up at Shikamaru while he was busy fending off another attacker. The enemy had been intent on stabbing the pineapple-haired boy but Chouji had seen it. Had seen it from the corner of his eyes. Instinctively, he pushed the other boy away, receiving the deadly kunai. Shikamaru could only watch in horror as his best friend fell down on the bloody ground, stabbed in the heart. All the memories came flooding into his mind in that mere second and he felt it. He felt that thirst. The thirst for blood. As Chouji lay there motionless, he gave one scream and lunged at the ninja with two kunais on his hands, ready to kill. And he succeeded. Blood splattered on his face as the enemy fell on the ground, eyes wide in fear. But Shikamaru didn't feel the remorse. He was numb. He knew nothing now but kill, kill, kill. As soon as the Rain ninja fell down dead, he took the kunais once more and jumped at more enemies, slashing them by the throat or stabbing them at the heart. He was wild, wild with that manly instinct. He was drunk, drunk with the blood of the enemy. With the blood of the land.

- - - - -

**Author's Note**: What do you think? I'm not that good in action stuff so there... Ha ha... No classes today which means more time to write, write, and write. Oh well...


	5. Misunderstanding

As soon as the enemy had retreated and the battlefield was bare, Shikamaru ran to Chouji's side. He felt for a pulse. Faint. He laid his head on the boy's chest. Chouji was hardly breathing. His heart beat wildly and he panicked. His strength left him and he couldn't move in nervousness. His mind was blank and the tears just kept coming and coming. Good thing, Naruto and the others were there. Painstakingly, they transferred the chubby boy from the gorund to Akamaru's back. As soon as it was over, they helped to get Chouji over to the medical tent. Naruto stood beside Shikamaru and offered him a hand. Shikamaru, recovering a little of his old self, took the hand and stood up shakily. The blonde boy helped him walk back to the camp to which Shikamaru was grateful.

- - - - -

They all sat outside the white medical tent, waiting for the results. Chouji had been brought in two hours ago and still no news. More and more wounded people just kept coming and coming. And more and more noise could be heard inside. Once in a while, a nurse went out and called in different people. The persons who went in looked nervous but when they went out, they were all crying in grief. Shikamaru's heart raced wildly whenever that nurse went out of the tent. He was like the Messenger of Death to all.

"It's been two hours and still no news?" Kiba whined. "I'm tired."

"Go on ahead." Neji replied. "You can go to sleep and we'll keep watch."

"That's just it! I can't sleep without the news! I just know I'll die if I don't know..."

"How troublesome..." Shikamaru scowled. "Why don't you guys just shut up?"

"You're just taking all the blame, that's what, Shikamaru." Naruto said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You don't have to. It was no one's fault."

"It was mine."

"No. It just happened. Some things can't be avoided, you know? Like death--"

Shikamaru turned around and took him by the collar. "Are you saying that Chouji's going to die?" He demanded, anger in his voice.

"No! That was not what I meant."

"Then what was it? What does a happy-go-lucky fool like you know? Nothing!"

The others watched in shock as Shikamaru stormed away angrily to his tent. No one had seen him that angry before. Naruto sighed and Lee placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry. You said nothing wrong. He was just frustrated, that's all."

"Let him go, Kiba." Shino said even before the ninja could stand up. "There's no point in following him. You'll just infuriate him more by your actions."

Kiba sat back down again and waited with them, patiently, for the news to come, terrible it might be.

- - - - -

"Shikamaru." Hatake Kakashi went inside the small tent. "Can I have a word with you?"

"Yeah." Came the muffled reply from underneath the sheets. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Do you want to know how your friend is?"

Shikamaru didn't reply. He didn't want to but a part of him wanted to know. He'd probably find out that his friend was in a critical condition or, worse, dead. What could he say to Maia then? Some lame excuse maybe. But she would never forgive him.

"Shikamaru?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to know how Chouji is?"

"I'm not sure I do."

Kakashi sighed. The truth will come out anyway. "Chouji is..."

Shikamaru held his breath. He waited for the moment.

"He is..."

Sweat trickled down his forehead.

"Your friend is..."

Shikamaru grew impatient. "Are you going to tell me or not?" He asked angrily.

"Oh. I thought you didn't want to know." Kakashi's eyes twinkled in delight over the boy's outburst.

"Hn."

"All right. I'll break the tension. Chouji is alright now. He's no longer in a critical condition. He's in the medical tent. You can see him anytime you want."

Shikamaru pulled down some of the sheets, revealing half of his tear-stained face. Thankfully, though, it was dark and Kakashi wasn't able to see much. "Really? You're not joking, are you?"

"No. Come on, you can see him now."

Shikamaru sat up in the cot and studied his sensei's face, or what was not covered of his sensei's face. Every inch yelled of honesty. He let out the breath he had been holding for so long and said, "I'll be outside soon. Give me a minute."

Kakashi nodded and went out. Shikamaru took a wet cloth and dabbed it on his face to erase any traces of shed tears. Next, he smoothed out the wrinkles on his shirt and hair. In a few seconds, he was out of his tent, breathing in the scent of the cool night air. Kakashi was there, waiting for him. No other person was in sight. The silver-haired ninja motioned for him to follow, which he did. Shikamaru wanted to yell. To scream his happiness out. He was bubbling in gladness. He was happy. He wanted to hug someone but it just wasn't going to be this sensei. It had to be someone else... Someone else at home. Nevertheless, he was happy.

In a few minutes, the two of them reached the medical tent. A huge red cross was painted on top of the white tent. It was evidently smaller than the tent in the middle of the camp but big, nonetheless, for twenty or so beds inside. Kakashi nodded towards entrance.

"You go in alone. I don't like the smell of the place."

"Yeah."

Shikamaru walked into the entrance. The smell of blood and strong chemicals greeted him. There about fifty or so patients on that tent. Clearly it was overcrowded. There were only twenty beds inside, not even enough to cover half of the number. People in white suits ran up and down the tent, attending to the patients. Some of the wounded were lying on the floor in a flurry of blood and bandages. Some of them were being stepped on accidentally and the air was ringing with curses from them and mumbles of apologies from the nurses. A tall woman from the back of the tent seemed to be in charge for she was barking out orders to the others. A young man, about his age, noticed him and ran up to Shikamaru.

"Who are you looking for, sir?"

"Akimichi Chouji." Shikamaru said, choking. He was not accustomed to this whirlwind of strong odors.

"Oh, he's over there." The man pointed at the back of the tent. "Go there. It opens up to another room."

Shikamaru smiled in thanks and ran off, carefully maneuvering his way past the lying patients. Thankfully, he stepped on none of them. A nurse showed him the way to the next room. He thanked his lucky stars when he went there, into the next room. The air there was fresher than the first room and there was no tension in the air. The nurses worked calmly as they attended to the patients. He sighed in relief and walked along the aisle. Presently, he found a bed with the name "Akimichi Chouji" scrawled on a piece of paper. He walked closer and sat beside the chair near it. He drew the curtains open and smiled. Sure enough, Chouji was in a good state. Bandages were wrapped around his body although the bleeding had stopped. He was still hooked into machines but all of them said he was fine. Shikamaru's eyes were filled with tears without even him knowing. Chouji opened his eyes a little.

"Shikamaru..." He said in a cracked voice. "Why are you crying?"

"I am? I'm just so happy that you're still alive."

"Of course, dummy... I won't die. I still got more things to do like protect your sorry butt." He laughed and smiled at Shikamaru. "You got any chips there?"

"I see your wounds haven't hampered your eating habits. Sorry but no... The medics don't allow food here."

"What am I supposed to eat now?"

"Hospital food, I guess..." Shikamaru smiled at his friend. "But thanks... Over there."

"Nah. That was nothing. It's what friends are for. I'm sure you'd do the same thing."

"Yeah... Of course."

- - - - -

Ino slumped down the couch. She was very tired from all the hospital work. Many patients have been taken in that day, most of them were victims from the war. Other nearby hospitals just can't hold them so they were brought to Konoha, in spite of the long and perilous journey. They were all near-death by the time they arrived and so they had to work very hard. Fortunately, all of the patients were saved and were now resting in their hospital rooms. Ino, however, had not yet eaten all through the day. It had been a wonder to her as to how she got home and opened the front door with no help at all. She felt faint and weary.

"Ino." Her mother's sweet voice said from the darkness. "Is that you? Are you home?"

"Yes." Was the weak reply.

"Are you tired? Or hungry?"

"Well, what do you think?"

The lights were turned on and a lady in a purple robe came down from the stairs. She looked worried as she walked up to her daughter. She sighed and went to the kitchen to fix a sandwich and a cup of hot chocolate. Ino, meanwhile, closed her eyes to shut out the bright light. Her eyes had not grown accustomed to it yet.

"Here, you should eat." Her mother placed the tray in front of her. "You look tired and weary. Was the hospital full today?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

"It must be hard on you after all the things that happened in the past days."

"Well, yeah. It actually was." She took a sip of her hot chocolate. "I don't know about you but for me it was."

"It was, Ino."

"I don't think so."

"How could you say that?"

"You don't seem to care about dad at all."

"Ino!"

"Well, it's true. You never cared! You never even cried while he was being buried! You--"

_A slap on the cheek._

Ino held her cheek and ran off to her room upstairs, tears flowing from her clear blue eyes. Her mother could only look at her and regret her past actions. It was all a misunderstanding... Nothing but a misunderstanding.

- - - - -

**Author's Note**: Hmm... I don't know... Haha... Random stuff in this chapter. Oh well...


	6. Letters

Ooh... I have been waiting for this day to come when I can finally update my story... Here goes.

- - - - -

"Ino!"

The knocks on her door grew louder and louder with each passing minute. Ino ignored the sound stubbornly and, instead, wrapped herself in the warmth of her silk blankets. Her mother slapped her. Who was she to care if her mother's hands bled from prolonged knocking? No, not she. Her mother had hurt her. Her mother had no right to slap her. Her mother did not love her father. Her mother is a cold-hearted woman. Her mother is a monster, incapable of love.

"Ino! Please!" Came the shouts from the other side of the door. "Open the door!"

Ino did not budge. "Knock all you want." She mumbled under her breath. "I don't care if your hands bleed. I don't care."

"Ino! Can't we at least talk?"

"No! I don't want to talk to you! You don't love father!"

"Ino, that's not true and you know it! Now come out and let's talk."

"I said I don't want to."

"Stop being stubborn!" Her mother said in a stern voice. "Come out and we'll talk."

"I don't want to."

"Ino."

No reply.

Her mother sighed. "Okay, I'll give you time."

As soon as the footsteps died away, Ino removed the mass of blankets on top of her and threw them on the floor. She sprang up and went to her desk. She lit a lamp and picked up her pen and ink. Ino sat down and began to compose a letter.

_Dear Shikamaru,_

_How's it going over there? Everything's fine over here. No disturbances in Konoha. We're all happy about that... The only disturbance now is something between me and mom. But you don't need to hear about any of that. It will just make you suffer. (Ha ha!) Oh, I'm working at the hospital now with Sakura and the others. Tsunade-sama is a great teacher. Did you know? The other day we had a patient..._

And so the letter went on for five or so pages, relating of incidents either in Konoha or in the hospital. She wrote until her hands ached, that is, until the middle of the night. Finally, when the letter ended, she read it again and, satisfied, sealed it in an envelope. She placed it on her desk so she wouldn't forget about it tomorrow when she went to work. Tired and weary, she leapt to her bed and instantly fell asleep, not even bothering to pick up her blankets.

- - - - -

_...Wish you all the luck!_

_Love,_

_Ino_

Shikamaru smiled as he closed the letter. It amused him greatly to receive letters from the people in Konoha, even those from his annoying mother. He found out, days later, that he really missed home. I mean, really really missed home. He felt homesick whenever he saw a deer darting in the thick dense forest. Or whenever he heard the leaves rustle or see the brightly colored flowers that were dotting the meadow not far away. He missed the people, his room, their house, the buildings, the food his mother cooks... Everything.

Ino's letter was five or so pages long but one thing that outshone the contents of the letter was the part where Ino wrote about her and her mother. It bothered him to hear of this. Usually, Ino and her mother were in good terms. In fact, he never remembered an incident where the two of them fought, not even over money. The Yamanaka family was a close-knit one, unlike his which consisted of a noisy mother and two very lazy men. He thought of it over and over again until it burdened his soul. Then, knowing that nothing could cure it except an explanation, he picked up pen and paper and began to write.

_Dear Ino,_

_Everything's fine around here. We're all doing great, even Chouji. He seems to be used to the food rations around here. Same with all of us. It would probably gross you out to hear that we seldom took baths since the alarm goes off every four or five hours. Troublesome people._

_It's nice to hear from you but there's one thing that bothers me. Are you fighting with your mother? I hope not. It's a pity._

_It all ends here. I'm never really good with writing letters. Oh well... This is troublesome._

_Shikamaru_

_P.S. Naruto sends Sakura three kisses and a hug. XXXO There. Kindly give it to her, alright?_

He folded the letter and inserted it into an envelope. He would give it to the messenger later when he came by. Shikamaru lay down his cot and placed his hands behind his head. He closed his eyes and lulled himself to sleep.

Everyday, several men walked around the camp regularly to either give out or to send letters. They were the messengers. Each one of them had a specific country to go to, making things a lot more easier. They came twice during the day: morning and night. The amount of letters that are to be sent number to at least a thousand or so every day. Konoha sends the most number of letters probably because it was the biggest village.

The other boys also sent their sweethearts letters twice or even thrice a week. It was Naruto who usually wrote Sakura three times a week. He said he was afraid that perhaps Sakura would go with other guys other than he, to which the others laughed heartily. He was mad for a spell but his anger was soon appeased by a bribe of ramen from Kiba. Neji, on the other hand, did not write to neither Hinata nor Tenten. He was simply not used to it was his brief explanation. Lee also wrote to Sakura weekly even if he knew about Naruto and Sakura's engagement. It didn't bother him much and referred to his letters as "friendly youth notes" and that they were harmless and meant absolutely nothing. Although in one incident, Naruto had read some of his letters and most of the content was about his undying love for Sakura and his risking his life for her and Konoha. Shikamaru wrote back only once or twice a month, never finding the time to do so because of the aforesaid ringing of the bell. He slept mostly in his free time and never bothered to write except when he saw the others busily writing letters.

- - - - -

It was nearly midnight and Ino had just come home. It had been a very hectic day because of the huge crowds of patients that almost invaded the hospital. It seemed like all the wounded were rushed there. Work had started at 8 in the morning and was supposed to end at 5 in the afternoon but today, work ended at 11PM. Ino noticed that the number of patients coming into the hospital was growing rapidly, escalating in every passing week. Seems like the war is taking its toll everywhere, even in the smallest and weakest of countries.

She slumped onto a nearby chair, didn't even bother to turn on the lights. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to shut out the faces of those wounded and dying people. It was something a woman should never look at. It was the result of this war. It was an uncanny sight. Shards of metal clung to their skin causing deep gashes inches deep. Kunai and shuriken were stuck to their bodies. Both fresh and dried blood clung to their bodies. Those who had died along the way had smelt atrocious. The chill of death was plastered on their ivory brows.

Ino, in her thinking, did not hear the footsteps behind her. Nor did she hear the breathing of the woman behind her. Not even the feel of the hand on her shoulder... Or the arms that encircled in a warm embrace. When she realized, though, it was too late to free herself. It was her mother. Her one and only mother. The woman her father married and loved. Her mother was embracing her. Crying. She could feel the tears fall on her bare shoulders. The hot tears seemed to melt the heart of ice on her chest, as with Kaye from the _Snow Queen_, and it stung her. It stung her deepest emotions. It was at that moment that the veil of fog that hung in front of her, shielding her eyes from the truth, was lifted, allowing her to see the truth. And her eyes were opened. For the first time, ever since that day the news about her father spread, she saw her mother as his wife. His dearly loving wife. Not just a woman, but as a wife who loved him back. A wife who grieved for her loss.

"Ino." Her mother said in between tears. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry... I didn't think you would not understand... I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry."

"It's..." Ino's voice faltered because of the tears. "It's... It's okay now..."

"I know. I know."

The two of them stayed like this for a while. Her mother hugging her and both of them crying in the darkness. Somehow, they both felt the same way. They felt peace in their hearts and their spirits were lifted. The sorrow that hung over them was gone, wafted up into the air, vanishing forever... And they could feel that Yamanaka Inoichi was smiling down on them from above.

- - - - -

"Yo, Shikamaru! You got mail!"

Shikamaru heard Naruto shriek from outside his tent. He flicked open one eye and then the other. He stood up shakily and sat on the cot, scratching his head. _9 in the morning._It was what the clock beside him said. Naruto came in and sat beside him, holding up a glittery purple envelope to his face.

"Sheesh..." Shikamaru took the letter from the blonde ninja. "You didn't have to scream your heart out or fling the envelope at my face. I could see it miles away."

"Who's it from?" Naruto asked, scanning Sakura's letter. "Is it from your mother? She hasn't written for weeks, you know?"

"I know that. You don't have to repeat it over and over again." He opened the envelope. The faint smell of rose perfume wafted into the air. He smiled, knowing who wrote the letter. "Hmm..."

"Who's it from?" Naruto repeated.

"Duh."

"Oh, okay. Then I'd better leave you alone for a while."

Naruto waved goodbye and left. Shikamaru was thankful. Now he could read the letter in silence. He unfolded the letter.

_Dear Shikamaru,_

_Hey there! How's it going over there? I hope you're not wounded or dying... Is Chouji getting thinner? You said in a previous letter that he's getting used to the food rations. I do hope he's getting thinner. I'm so afraid for his health. He might explode when you stick a needle into him, you know?_

_Oh, guess what? Mom and I are in good terms now. It was just a misunderstanding, that's all. I guess... It was all on my part. I can see that now. Sorry for making you worried over it. You didn't have to, actually._

_We're having a really hectic week on the hospital..._

The next contents of the letter are highly confidential and Shikamaru kept them to himself. The letter was very enlightening but what made him very happy was that Ino and her mom had made up. It was better. The burden was taken off his back, like a sack being unloaded from a cart. He smiled to himself and shook his head in delight. Suddenly, a familiar sound reached his ears. He put down the letter and stood up.

"Geez... What a drag..."

- - - - -

**Author's Note**: There it is... Oh well. Haha. Review please. :D


	7. Baby

A whole year had passed since the men had left for the war. Neither Ino nor the girls could believe it. A whole year without the boys was hardly possible but here it was. They had gone on living for a whole year without them. All the other women had worked very hard to fill up the gaps left by the men such as repairs to be done at their homes: broken pipes, holes on the roof, walls to be painted, and kids to be taught proper manners. Ino herself had had a share of the work. She mended the roof once when it was raining, much to her disgust. Her new purple shirt had been ripped and she blamed it all on the rain.

Sakura, on the other hand, was safe from the housework. Her mother was a domestic diva and she was wont to be seen on the couch, resting while sipping hot tea... While her mother was outside, fixing the fences.

Hinata, like Sakura, would also be inside because of the hordes of servants they had.

Tenten was used to keeping house and so was not as bugged as Ino was.

The events of fixing and mending was written regularly to the boys who, in turn, laughed at them during their free times. It was quite a good thing that the girls do not know about this, though, or they would have punched them in the faces even if it meant running up to where they were and running back up to Konoha to attend to their duties.

Kurenai had already given birth to a son which was about eight months old now. It was a healthy baby boy named Kurama. The girls, namely Sakura, Ino, Hinata, and Tenten, had a habit of dropping by the apartment whenever they can afford to and play with the baby. It was their first time to see a teacher's baby and they were having fun with it. They played and cuddled the baby until they were tired, the little bundle of joy shrieking all the while. It might irritate Shikamaru and the others but the girls thought it was a beautiful, like mellifluous music from a harp. The girls had also written about this and it made the boys just more and more homesick. It delighted them, however, to find that a beautiful baby boy would be waiting for them in Konoha.

- - - - -

"Can you believe it, Shikamaru?" Chouji said as he looked at the calendar nailed to one of the posts. "We've been here for a year! I can't believe it! I actually survived."

"Yeah, I can't believe it too." Shikamaru replied, looking at the scars on his left arm where he had been burned the other month by an arrow with a fiery tip. It was a scary, near-death experience for him. He dared not write about it to Ino or to his mother lest they urge him to go back to Konoha. "I mean, you actually lost weight."

It was true. Chouji had lost weight due to the food rations. He had gradually shrunk down to nearly half his size. It was a relief to Ino since she won't have to worry over Chouji's health now.

"It's not just that. I never really thought I'd survive in unfamiliar territory."

"We're ninjas. We're made for that."

"I know. I just don't trust myself to survive, that's all."

Shikamaru smiled slyly. "Remember, Chouji, survival of the fittest."

"Yeah." Chouji said, remembering _his_ near-death experience. "I know."

The alarm rang and the two boys stood up, shaking their heads in disgust. More war. More fighting. More killing. More blood. It was too much for them. Although one year had passed, they had never really gotten used to it yet. Day by day, hundreds would lie at that cursed land of a battlefield, dead... And yet they would keep on doing it again the next day and the next and the next... Until there was no end to it. No end to the fighting. They had long grown weary to the war. Nevertheless, they had to fight, neither for glory nor power, but for freedom. Freedom to go back to their loved ones.

- - - - -

Ino cuddled the baby Kurama on her lap. She brought a finger to its lips and drew it away at the last second. The baby shrieked in excitement at the game and Kurenai smiled from the kitchen where she was making milk for the baby.

"Aww... Such a cute little baby boo, isn't he?" Ino cooed at the baby. "Isn't he? Isn't he?"

"Ah goo goo!" The baby said in its wee voice. "Ah goo goo goo!"

She laughed. "You're such a sweet thing! Babies are so cute!" She looked at Kurenai dreamily. "I can't wait to have mine, sensei!"

Kurenai walked up to them, smiling while shaking the milk bottle. "Yes, I know... But you'll soon see what a handful babies are. Here, let me have him. It's time to feed him." Kurenai took the baby and gave it its bottle. "You girls are so good, coming here everyday. I don't know how I can get by without you."

"That's okay. It doesn't take up much of our time, anyway. Right, baby?" She touched the baby lightly on the arm. "It's such a relief to see little Kurama too after a hard day's work. He simply radiates rest and peace."

"He has the same effect on me too. How I wish Asuma was here to see his baby boy."

"I'm sure he's really happy to see little Kurama." Ino assured the woman. "He must be proud."

"Proud as any man can be when he sees his boy." Kurenai sighed. "I wish the war would end soon. It's been a year since it started. I miss their company."

"Kakashi-sensei and the others would also be here everyday to see the baby. They'd spoil it terribly, too, I think."

"Yes," Kurenai said with a chuckle. "I guess you're right, Ino."

"I should be going, Kurenai-sensei."

"You should be. See you around."

"I'll be back tomorrow." Ino said, smiling. "That is, if you don't mind."

"Of course I don't mind! You can come here anytime you want. You girls are always welcome here."

"Thanks, sensei."

Ino waved goodbye as she closed the door and went away.

- - - - -

Naruto lay sprawled on a huge rock by the camp. Everyone was talking all at the same time. They were gadding to each other about the victory that was won that day, never even taking notice of him. He was tired and weary after the fight that had ensued for around three or four hours. His chest was heaving up and down faster than normal. Sweat trickled down his back and forehead. Every muscle in his body ached. His forehead was throbbing from a deep gash he received earlier while dodging rocks thrown by the enemy ninjas. He removed his forehead protector, only to discover that it was soaked in deep red blood. He took out a handkerchief from his shuriken bag and pressed it on his wound. This would surely slow down the flow of blood, temporarily. Shakily, he stood up and walked up to the white medical tent, pushing through the throngs of people. He had to walk a long way if he didn't want his life to waste away on that rock.

A nurse ushered him into the tent. As stated before, wounded and dying patients were strewn along the dirt-lined floor. They were moaning and groaning in pain. The sounds they made were, to Naruto, like the cold night wind that blew through the pine trees in the graveyard during the dead of the night. He had once come there when he was but a small tot of seven but even then he had known how scary it was to hear it.

"This way, sir."

The nurse's voice jolted him back to reality. He looked sideways at the nurse and, for the first time, noticed that the nurse was no older than he was. Naruto nodded and followed the nurse into an adjoining room.

The next room was much more peaceful than the first, although it still smelled the same: of dried blood and nearly rotting flesh. Naruto pressed the handkerchief harder on his head. More blood was spilling out of the wound. Another nurse beckoned for him to come, which he did. He was now in a small cubicle together with two other nurses and one doctor. The doctor gently cleaned the wound while the two nurses assisted him.

"This one's deep, kid. You're pretty lucky you didn't get knocked out. We got many cases like these around here." He looked at Naruto in the eye. "Most of them die."

There was a flicker of fear in Naruto's eyes but it lasted only for a second. The doctor laughed and applied some medicine to the wound. "Most of them. Not all, kid. It's a good thing you're in your right mind even though you're all tired and weary after that fight."

"Yeah. I guess so..." Was Naruto's answer. "I was lucky..."

- - - - -

"Ino!"

Ino turned around from the roses she was pruning to see who the visitor was. She smiled as she saw Sakura bounding up the lane with a letter in hand.

Her heart beat wildly. The letter must be from Shikamaru! He had not written in two months and it thrilled her whenever she received any letters.

But there was something wrong about Sakura today. For one, she wasn't smiling. A frown was plastered across her ivory white face and her eyes were undoubtedly downcast. Ino wiped her hands on her apron and took the letter Sakura handed her. She scanned the envelope. There was no return address, only her name scrawled speedily on it. As she opened the letter, she looked sideways at her friend. Sakura was shuffling her feet unsteadily. Ino read the contents of the letter loudly:

_Dear Miss Nurse,_

_I had just received news that my husband would no longer be coming back from the war. He was killed in the borders of the Rain Country while they were trying to invade a neighboring enemy camp. My heart grieves for him and my grief is too deep that I fear I would not last long. My husband is only a farmer and we are poor. Our first-born son is in the house, as you know. I have no relatives alive. As for my husband, I do not know. No one will take care of him. Perhaps you know what comes next..._

_Please take care of my only son. Raise him as you would your own, miss nurse. He is not named yet. I planned to let my husband do so but since he is no longer here... You have the freedom to name him. He is five months old, miss nurse... You can raise him as to however mode you want to as long as you take care of him._

_My tears fall now that I write this letter to you. My last, miss nurse. My eyesight is failing me. The lamp wanes, miss nurse._

_Yours truly,_

_Megumi Shirota_

Ino folded the letter and inserted it back into the envelope shakily. Her hands shook as she handed the letter back to Sakura and nodded, denoting that she was game to do it. She went back to her room slowly to get ready for the trip. As soon as the door was closed behind her, she wept into her bed for a few minutes, waiting for the reality to sink in.

Only recently, Tsunade had allowed chosen nurses to go into the people in need outside of Konoha. Most of these patients were newly married women whose husbands had gone to the war. Ino had gone to various women but the one she got closest with was Megumi Shirota, who was pregnant when Ino first saw her. She had been pregnant for two months before her husband went away. Her pregnancy was somehow dangerous but she got through all right and was able to give birth to a new-born son. Ino had been there to witness it. An air of happiness was all around the house around that time. Sorrows past and present were forgotten momentarily as the two of them gazed at the new-born's dimpled face.

Sorrowfully, Ino journeyed to the Shirota home. As she journeyed, she thought about the baby who would be six months old by now, lying there on his cradle crying with no one close to hear. She tried to shut the picture out of her mind but it appeared repeatedly until she could bear it no more and was filled with pity.

She arrived there by nightfall. The owls hooted in the trees surrounding the little house. No light was in it which was quite relieving. Ino had somehow feared that Megumi had left a candle on, perhaps resulting in a fire and... and... She could not bear to think of it any longer.

The door creaked noisily when she opened it. The smell of dried grass greeted her, a familiar smell which somehow put her at ease. The room was dark but Ino knew it by heart. There were only a few pieces of furniture in it so it was not hard to memorize. She could make out the thick oak table Taro Shirota had industriously made for his wife. Megumi loved to write. A figure was seated on the chair in front of the table. She knew who it was. Impulsively, she turned on a lamp and drew near, bringing the lamp with her. When she was near enough, she saw Megumi's pale pink lips curved into a smile. She had died happy. Ino moved away and went next to the cradle near the bed. She put down her lamp and gently carried the baby into her arms. The little boy was sleeping peacefully, as if nothing in the world outside bothered him. Ino touched its lips. The baby yawned but stayed asleep. She smiled and covered it in folds and folds of cloth. It was cold and it might freeze to death. When she was done, she went out and carefully locked the door. Then, as was custom in that place, she lit a fire and burned the house down. The bundle of joy in her arms seemed to sense that his mother was in that house and so began to cry. His cries were mixed with the sound of crackling wood. Ino could do nothing but listen as tears fell down from her cerulean eyes.

- - - - -

Ino arrived at their home at daybreak, just as the sun was shining on the east. She laid the baby down on a cradle her mother had prepped up. It had been hers when she was a baby and was somehow lost but, luckily, it was found in the attic. It was sort of old but it was still strong and rather durable for it had survived years and years of hiding. Wearily, she jumped onto her bed. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was in dreamland, dreaming of her "baby".

- - - - -

"Ino," Kurenai asked, looking at the teenage girl in front of her. "Have you decided upon a name yet?"

"A name?" Ino cuddled the unnamed baby in her arms. "I haven't given it much thought yet..."

"You should give it an identity, you know?" A twinkle appeared on her eyes.

"But I have no idea what name to give it, sensei."

"Why don't you try fusing yours and Shikamaru's names together?"

Ino blushed hotly. "Wh-where'd you get that idea, sensei? That's ridiculous..."

Shikamaru was quite unwilling to let their relationship be known to other people. Perhaps there wasn't really much to it but it was more intimate than being friends anyway. To him, it meant something of what couples do so he supposed that was what they were but he was still shy about the information leaking out. So far, only Sakura, Chouji, Ino's mother, and the Nara family had known about it. Not even the fathers had known.

"There are signs, Ino..."

"It doesn't sound good if you combine our names." She said. "I want something different and cute. Megumi didn't give any suggestions about the baby's name."

"Why don't you name it after your father?"

"No. That would make it seem old."

Kurenai chuckled. "You always were modern, Ino."

A long silence followed as both of them thought of names. Ino's mind was flooded with many different names but none of them seemed to fit this angel with the halo of fudge-brown curls. She looked at the tiny face with the half-open green eyes. Dimples in his arms and knees... He was just one irresistible baby! That's when it somehow hit her.

"I've decided on the name Aki, sensei." She declared proudly.

"And why would you choose that, Ino?" Kurenai asked, rather surprised. "I don't see any connection."

"Aki is just the color of autumn don't you think, sensei? He has brown hair for the falling maple leaves, green eyes for the colors of evergreen, and a nice tan for the sun. Don't you think it nice, sensei?" She hugged the baby tight. "I love it already."

Kurenai smiled. "You still fancy too much, Ino... You'll learn more in time."

"I admit that I have never been good in naming babies but it just struck me." She giggled. "I hope mom and Shikamaru would like it."

"I'm sure they will... I'm sure they will." Kurenai said, patting her delicate hands. "Soon, those hands will be marked with life's hard work. You better be ready for it. Life isn't all flowers, Ino."

"I know, Kurenai-sensei..." She looked outside. "We've got to go. I'll see you again tomorrow, sensei... If the weather wills it."

"You better write about Aki to Shikamaru."

"I will!" Ino said as she hastened off into their home, eager to tell her mother of the news.

- - - - -

**Author's Note: **So there! I've listed a few names (Seiichi, Ichiro, Sachio, and Shouta) but none of them seemed to fit so... There... Aki. Well, what do you think of this chapter? Review, anyone?


	8. Hinata

"Shikamaru!" Chouji walked up to him, bringing an envelope with him. "This one's for you. The messenger gave it to me."

Lazily, Shikamaru took the envelope. "Right." Three months had passed and he had not received any letters from Ino or from anybody else, not even from his mother. It was a relief that he was back to reading them again. "Thanks."

As soon as Chouji had gone, he slit open the envelope and took out the letter. It was, as usual, sprayed with rose perfume. He smiled gleefully. Ino never forgot to spray on the scented liquid. She must have dozens of those bottles at home. He unfolded the envelope and read the content.

_Dearest Shikamaru,_

_Hey there... This'll be short but the thoughts it contain... Well... I guess it's really heavy... Just read on._

_I'm sorry for not writing to you for three months already. I was so busy in here. There was so much work to be taken care of. Like the roof. The house leaked last month because of the rain. Lightning was flashing on the sky and I had to fix the roof or else we'd end up swimming in murky water the next day. Mom had a headache and I was the only one who could do it. Bah... I was so exhausted after that._

_Anyway, I didn't write to you about roofs, don't worry. There's something new... And I just can't help it. I'm sorry for not getting your side on this but the situation needed urgent attention... Shikamaru, I don't know how you'd react to this but... I have a baby with me._

Shikamaru's jaw dropped. Ino? A baby? Impossible! Did she..? No, she wouldn't dare betray him. She was very loyal when it came to relationships... But then... Was it by accident? He was not sure. His mind was playing tricks on him that for a while he dared not read the rest of the letter lest he be hurt... But the truth had to be faced. Courageously, he braved the stormy waters of doubt and read the letter.

_No-o! It's not what you think it is. I didn't! I swear! I adopted the baby. It was from a patient of mine but, unfortunately, she died. She left the baby to me and... And I agreed to take care of it for her. I've even named him. His name is Aki. He's eight months old and I can tell you, he's the dearest thing on earth! He has brown hair (the color of chocolate) and the greenest of eyes! He's just a charming, dimpled thing... I hope you like him. I'll send a picture of Aki in the days to come_

_(Aki is also one of the reasons why I wasn't able to write to you. The three months that passed have been rather bad on him. He just kept on having that annoying cold over and over again! But at least, the dangers have been over and he's looking so much better... My nights are no good, either... But that's okay. Having a baby to take care of is fun!)_

_Sure, you may think it troublesome but I'll still take care of him no matter what you say!! That's all..._

_Yours forevermore,_

_Ino_

_P.S. Aki will need a dad. Care to be one?_

Shikamaru crumpled the letter up and smiled slyly. What could he even do? Ino had made up her mind about it and her decisions were the law. He had agreed with himself over that. No arguing. Arguing will just mar a relationship. He threw the ball into a nearby bonfire and walked to his tent.

"How troublesome..." He muttered under his breath as he grabbed some paper, his pen, and ink.

- - - - -

Aki grew both in spirit and body in every passing day. He had grown a lot ever since Ino had seen him that dark and dreadful night locked up in an out of place cabin. The sound of his shrieks as the house burned still rang in her ears but it was now drowned by the little fits of laughter that little brown baby had. It delighted everyone whenever Aki had those laughing fits. One minute he would be all sad and rowdy then the next minute he'd suddenly burst out laughing, like some silly old joke had been told. That laugh had been a staple during those days.

Never a day passed that the other girls came into the Yamanaka home. They were always there to cuddle the babe in their strong, slender arms. Even shy Hinata seemed to break out of her shell whenever the baby was held to her bosom. Kurenai often went to, missing Ino's visits to her apartment. She also brought little Kurama along so Aki could have someone to play with. Everyone enjoyed its company, as with all other little cuddly things the world over.

But most of all, it was Ino who benefited most from Aki. The arrival of the small person in the once dreary house had cleared away the dark storm clouds brought by her father's untimely death. Even her mother seemed to sense this. Perhaps, even the densest of persons could. It was simply noticeable by the way she walked, smiled, talked, and did all those other things she used to do. There was a little skip to her step now that joy had come to her life. Even the Godaime Hokage seemed a tad jealous... But, of course, she'd never have that known to the village. She was a woman of high standing and no one must see her breakdown.

The letters from the boys, irregular though they might be, also brought them sheer happiness and peace of mind. Judging from each letter, it seemed that they have made a break through the front and that the Rain ninjas were retreating. Other than that, though, everything just seemed to go worse. Food and water supplies were evidently going down. The armory and medical tent had been damaged heavily when the enemies had shot arrows whose tips were doused with flame. Several explosions had occurred and around a fourth of their entire army was burned out. It was in this incident also where Shikamaru had received that scar but he had not written about it, lest Ino and his mother should worry excessively.

The girls, on the other hand, both dreaded and felt excited whenever letters from the battlefield came. The letters were like poison whenever something bad was in them but sweet, wild honey when good news flooded their little beings.

The best letter any of them had ever received was that of Hinata's from none other than Kiba himself. It had come one winter afternoon as the Hyuuga heiress was about to retire for the day. Hospital work must have been taking a toll on her frail body. Hanabi, her younger sister who was now growing prettier with each passing day, was the one who handed her the letter. It wasn't much actually, just little scrawls and doodles by young ninja, telling her about his and his faithful dog's adventures. However, it was the post-script that nearly took the breath out of her. She read it more than a hundred times already and yet she could not... She would not believe it.

_P.S. Shino wouldn't write to you about this... He wanted to save it for later when we came back, but just being little naughty me, I couldn't resist... Are you ready? Shino wants to ask you to be Aburame Hinata when we come back. There! It's all said and done! You shouldn't say anything about this to him. He'll get awful mad at me. :D_

At that time, in her lamp-lit bedroom, Hinata had nothing to say. Her breaths came in short and she felt utterly dizzy. It was not the hospital work, she knew. It was from shock. Shino? Marrying her? That was... Impossible! It could never be! In a few more minutes, she had been on her way to the loving and cold hands of the mahogany floor.

When she had finally awoken, a delighted Hyuuga Hanabi sat beside her, with a teasing smile on her little face and a twinkle in her lavender eyes. She held up a piece of paper and an envelope, holding it up for Hinata to understand that she had read it. Hinata, upon seeing the paper, turned red with rage and humiliation and tried her hardest to snatch up the letter but to no avail. Hanabi held it away from her reach and simply ran out of the room, laughing as she went. Hinata lay back down on her inviting bed and sobbed. She did not sob because of the unusual way the news had been told to her. The news had, in fact, been lovely if a little shocking... But it was lovely. She was quite happy that it happened that way. She feared that if Shino had personally told her, she would have fainted by the roadside. It would be rather embarassing on her and her husband-to-be's part.

Actually, she rather liked Shino better than their other teammate, the rowdy ninja Inuzuka Kiba. Shino was more like her type, silent and serene, unlike Kiba who was noisy and a bit troublesome. She had decided long, long ago that if Naruto would not be hers, then it was to be Shino and it had somehow come true... Although...

Hinata sobbed that she could not hide a secret from her family, even that which seemed rather personal. But this did not keep up long, however, for in a few minutes her father came barging in, eyes closed and with a very red face. He was holding the letter in one hand.

For some reason, her father had not been allowed to go to war. Maybe because of the responsibility he bore on his shoulders. Or maybe because he was old. She didn't know but she wished right there and then that he should have just gone.

"What's this?" He asked in a serious tone of voice. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Ki-Kiba-kun's letter to... to me..." She stammered, fearing that her father's anger will rain down upon her. "W-why?"

"That's not what I'm asking for, Hinata. I meant the post-script."

Hinata heard Hanabi giggle outside the bedroom. She looked down at the floor and clamped her fists shut into a ball. She could feel the tears welling up on her lavender eyes. So father did not like the idea after all.

He repeated the question but Hinata did not seem to hear. She was too absorbed on her sorrow. She liked Shino really well as a friend and as a welcome lover. He was good. Really good. So why didn't her father want him? Maybe it was because the Aburame clan had nothing to offer them... But what was the use of wealth when one could live with love?

"Hinata." Her father sat down beside her. "Hinata, I want you to know that I am not angry, not at all."

Hinata looked up, surprised from what her father had just said. She looked at him. "You're not?"

"Of course not... I would have gladly given you away to them but what I'm worried about is..." He paused and looked outside. "What if this young man does not come back? What would you do then?"

Hinata nodded, understanding her father's word. He wanted her to be happy but he was also worried for her welfare.

"We do not know how long this war would last and, thus, we do not know also how many more men had to be sacrificed for the peace we all seek. For all we know he could die... But I am not saying that he will. What I'm saying is..." He placed a hand on her shoulder, something he does not usually do. "Don't put your hopes up on this young man and this proposal."

"Of... Of course." Hinata said, quite regaining her composure. "I... I won't."

As soon as her father had gone, Hinata smiled sheepishly to herself and began to compose a letter to Shino. She could not contain the joy which was seeping through every inch of her. In spite of Kiba's warnings, the letter was duly sent the next day.

- - - - -

As expected, Shino had been somewhat frustrated and amused over the letter he received from Hinata. He was rather confused as to how she knew about it but that didn't matter now. He had her word. Her father had even agreed. Now all that he had to do was to live long for Hinata. To survive for her and her dreams for a happy married life... And perhaps... Perhaps little cuddly things she had written about passionately.

- - - - -

The other girls, upon hearing Hinata's good fortune, had simply jumped for joy. Hands were thrusted to Hinata, congratulating her for her soon-to-be marriage. Sakura felt closer to Hinata now that they were soon to be bethroted to their rightful lovers. Indeed, they spent more time speaking to each other about wedding plans that the others felt rather out of place. Everyone was pleased, especially Tenten who had not heard from Neji yet except maybe for little notes about him on Lee's delightful letters. The girl even envied Hinata for the luck on her love life but she would never tell of it, lest Neji be ashamed of her. He would never show whether he was jealous or not. For now, Tenten decided as she looked at Hinata's softly glowing face, that she had to live up to Neji's expectations.

In about two weeks, Hinata had everything planned out but she never wrote about it to Shino. It was to be a surprise when he gets back for who knows how long. She saddened at the thought but at least, tomorrow was something to look forward to in a war weary world. And to her, this tomorrow was her marriage.

- - - - -

**Author's Note: **What do you think? This chapter is dedicated to one of my best friends, Carmine (aka crimson.clouded.butterfly) since she likes Hinata so much... Crimson-chan! I hope you like this..!


	9. Papa

"Shikamaru!" Chouji walked up to him, bringing an envelope with him. "This one's for you. The messenger gave it to me."

Lazily, Shikamaru took the envelope. "Right." Three months had passed and he had not received any letters from Ino or from anybody else, not even from his mother. It was a relief that he was back to reading them again. "Thanks."

As soon as Chouji had gone, he slit open the envelope and took out the letter. It was, as usual, sprayed with rose perfume. He smiled gleefully. Ino never forgot to spray on the scented liquid. She must have dozens of those bottles at home. He unfolded the envelope and read the content.

_Dearest Shikamaru,_

_Hey there... This'll be short but the thoughts it contain... Well... I guess it's really heavy... Just read on._

_I'm sorry for not writing to you for three months already. I was so busy in here. There was so much work to be taken care of. Like the roof. The house leaked last month because of the rain. Lightning was flashing on the sky and I had to fix the roof or else we'd end up swimming in murky water the next day. Mom had a headache and I was the only one who could do it. Bah... I was so exhausted after that._

_Anyway, I didn't write to you about roofs, don't worry. There's something new... And I just can't help it. I'm sorry for not getting your side on this but the situation needed urgent attention... Shikamaru, I don't know how you'd react to this but... I have a baby with me._

Shikamaru's jaw dropped. Ino? A baby? Impossible! Did she..? No, she wouldn't dare betray him. She was very loyal when it came to relationships... But then... Was it by accident? He was not sure. His mind was playing tricks on him that for a while he dared not read the rest of the letter lest he be hurt... But the truth had to be faced. Courageously, he braved the stormy waters of doubt and read the letter.

_No-o! It's not what you think it is. I didn't! I swear! I adopted the baby. It was from a patient of mine but, unfortunately, she died. She left the baby to me and... And I agreed to take care of it for her. I've even named him. His name is Aki. He's eight months old and I can tell you, he's the dearest thing on earth! He has brown hair (the color of chocolate) and the greenest of eyes! He's just a charming, dimpled thing... I hope you like him. I'll send a picture of Aki in the days to come_

_(Aki is also one of the reasons why I wasn't able to write to you. The three months that passed have been rather bad on him. He just kept on having that annoying cold over and over again! But at least, the dangers have been over and he's looking so much better... My nights are no good, either... But that's okay. Having a baby to take care of is fun!)_

_Sure, you may think it troublesome but I'll still take care of him no matter what you say!! That's all..._

_Yours forevermore,_

_Ino_

_P.S. Aki will need a dad. Care to be one?_

Shikamaru crumpled the letter up and smiled slyly. What could he even do? Ino had made up her mind about it and her decisions were the law. He had agreed with himself over that. No arguing. Arguing will just mar a relationship. He threw the ball into a nearby bonfire and walked to his tent.

"How troublesome..." He muttered under his breath as he grabbed some paper, his pen, and ink.

- - - - -

Aki grew both in spirit and body in every passing day. He had grown a lot ever since Ino had seen him that dark and dreadful night locked up in an out of place cabin. The sound of his shrieks as the house burned still rang in her ears but it was now drowned by the little fits of laughter that little brown baby had. It delighted everyone whenever Aki had those laughing fits. One minute he would be all sad and rowdy then the next minute he'd suddenly burst out laughing, like some silly old joke had been told. That laugh had been a staple during those days.

Never a day passed that the other girls came into the Yamanaka home. They were always there to cuddle the babe in their strong, slender arms. Even shy Hinata seemed to break out of her shell whenever the baby was held to her bosom. Kurenai often went too, missing Ino's visits to her apartment. She also brought little Kurama along so Aki could have someone to play with. Everyone enjoyed its company, as with all other little cuddly things the world over.

But most of all, it was Ino who benefited most from Aki. The arrival of the small person in the once dreary house had cleared away the dark storm clouds brought by her father's untimely death. Even her mother seemed to sense this. Perhaps, even the densest of persons could. It was simply noticeable by the way she walked, smiled, talked, and did all those other things she used to do. There was a little skip to her step now that joy had come to her life. Even the Godaime Hokage seemed a tad jealous... But, of course, she'd never have that known to the village. She was a woman of high standing and no one must see her breakdown.

The letters from the boys, irregular though they might be, also brought them sheer happiness and peace of mind. Judging from each letter, it seemed that they have made a break through the front and that the Rain ninjas were retreating. Other than that, though, everything just seemed to go worse. Food and water supplies were evidently going down. The armory and medical tent had been damaged heavily when the enemies had shot arrows whose tips were doused with flame. Several explosions had occurred and around a fourth of their entire army was burned out. It was in this incident also where Shikamaru had received that scar but he had not written about it, lest Ino and his mother should worry excessively.

The girls, on the other hand, both dreaded and felt excited whenever letters from the battlefield came. The letters were like poison whenever something bad was in them but sweet, wild honey when good news flooded their little beings.

The best letter any of them had ever received was that of Hinata's from none other than Kiba himself. It had come one winter afternoon as the Hyuuga heiress was about to retire for the day. Hospital work must have been taking a toll on her frail body. Hanabi, her younger sister who was now growing prettier with each passing day, was the one who handed her the letter. It wasn't much actually, just little scrawls and doodles by a young ninja, telling her about his and his faithful dog's adventures. However, it was the post-script that nearly took the breath out of her. She read it more than a hundred times already and yet she could not... She would not believe it.

_P.S. Shino wouldn't write to you about this... He wanted to save it for later when we came back, but just being little naughty me, I couldn't resist... Are you ready? Shino wants to ask you to be Aburame Hinata when we come back. There! It's all said and done! You shouldn't say anything about this to him. He'll get awful mad at me. XD_

At that time, in her lamp-lit bedroom, Hinata had nothing to say. Her breaths came in short and she felt utterly dizzy. It was not the hospital work, she knew. It was from shock. Shino? Marrying her? That was... Impossible! It could never be! In a few more minutes, she had been on her way to the loving and cold hands of the mahogany floor.

When she had finally awoken, a delighted Hyuuga Hanabi sat beside her, with a teasing smile on her little face and a twinkle in her lavender eyes. She held up a piece of paper and an envelope, holding it up for Hinata to understand that she had read it. Hinata, upon seeing the paper, turned red with rage and humiliation and tried her hardest to snatch up the letter but to no avail. Hanabi held it away from her reach and simply ran out of the room, laughing as she went. Hinata lay back down on her inviting bed and sobbed. She did not sob because of the unusual way the news had been told to her. The news had, in fact, been lovely if a little shocking... But it was lovely. She was quite happy that it happened that way. She feared that if Shino had personally told her, she would have fainted by the roadside. It would be rather embarassing on her and her husband-to-be's part.

Actually, she rather liked Shino better than their other teammate, the rowdy ninja Inuzuka Kiba. Shino was more like her type, silent and serene, unlike Kiba who was noisy and a bit troublesome. She had decided long, long ago that if Naruto would not be hers, then it was to be Shino and it had somehow come true... Although...

Hinata sobbed that she could not hide a secret from her family, even that which seemed rather personal. But this did not keep up long, however, for in a few minutes her father came barging in, eyes closed and with a very red face. He was holding the letter in one hand.

For some reason, her father had not been allowed to go to war. Maybe because of the responsibility he bore on his shoulders. Or maybe because he was old. She didn't know but she wished right there and then that he should have just gone.

"What's this?" He asked in a serious tone of voice. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Ki-Kiba-kun's letter to... to me..." She stammered, fearing that her father's anger will rain down upon her. "W-why?"

"That's not what I'm asking for, Hinata. I meant the post-script."

Hinata heard Hanabi giggle outside the bedroom. She looked down at the floor and clamped her fists shut into a ball. She could feel the tears welling up on her lavender eyes. So father did not like the idea after all.

He repeated the question but Hinata did not seem to hear. She was too absorbed on her sorrow. She liked Shino really well as a friend and as a welcome lover. He was good. Really good. So why didn't her father want him? Maybe it was because the Aburame clan had nothing to offer them... But what was the use of wealth when one could live with love?

"Hinata." Her father sat down beside her. "Hinata, I want you to know that I am not angry, not at all."

Hinata looked up, surprised from what her father had just said. She looked at him. "You're not?"

"Of course not... I would have gladly given you away to them but what I'm worried about is..." He paused and looked outside. "What if this young man does not come back? What would you do then?"

Hinata nodded, understanding her father's words. He wanted her to be happy but he was also worried for her welfare.

"We do not know how long this war would last and, thus, we do not know also how many more men had to be sacrificed for the peace we all seek. For all we know he could die... But I am not saying that he will. What I'm saying is..." He placed a hand on her shoulder, something he does not usually do. "Don't put your hopes up on this young man and this proposal."

"Of... Of course." Hinata said, quite regaining her composure. "I... I won't."

As soon as her father had gone, Hinata smiled sheepishly to herself and began to compose a letter to Shino. She could not contain the joy which was seeping through every inch of her. In spite of Kiba's warnings, the letter was duly sent the next day.

- - - - -

As expected, Shino had been somewhat frustrated and amused over the letter he received from Hinata. He was rather confused as to how she knew about it but that didn't matter now. He had her word. Her father had even agreed. Now all that he had to do was to live long for Hinata. To survive for her and her dreams for a happy married life... And perhaps... Perhaps little cuddly things she had written about passionately.

- - - - -

The other girls, upon hearing Hinata's good fortune, had simply jumped for joy. Hands were thrusted to Hinata, congratulating her for her soon-to-be marriage. Sakura felt closer to Hinata now that they were soon to be bethroted to their rightful lovers. Indeed, they spent more time speaking to each other about wedding plans that the others felt rather out of place. Everyone was pleased, especially Tenten who had not heard from Neji yet except maybe for little notes about him on Lee's delightful letters. The girl even envied Hinata for the luck on her love life but she would never tell of it, lest Neji be ashamed of her. He would never show whether he was jealous or not. For now, Tenten decided as she looked at Hinata's softly glowing face, that she had to live up to Neji's expectations.

In about two weeks, Hinata had everything planned out but she never wrote about it to Shino. It was to be a surprise when he gets back for who knows how long. She saddened at the thought but at least, tomorrow was something to look forward to in a war weary world. And to her, this tomorrow was her marriage.

- - - - -

**Author's Note: **What do you think? This chapter is dedicated to one of my best friends, Carmine (aka .butterfly) since she likes Hinata so much... Crimson-chan! I hope you like this..!


	10. Temari

Three months later, the party was conducted. The girls were thrilled the week before the actual party. There was the excitement of choosing what to wear, how to do one's hair, which foods to cook, and who to invite. Invitations were already given out a month ago but the prospect of inviting more entered their minds. After all, what was a party without the people?

The party was actually planned for the benefit of the hospital. They wanted to raise enough funds for the enhancement of the medical facilities. They were also hoping that they'd raise enough money to add another building. The first one was old and creaky and was growing more and more overcrowded with each passing day, what with the hordes of patients brought there everyday.

The girls had personally thought of it. It was a good idea and won't be a heavy burden when it comes to capital. Surely, all the villagers will pitch in for the success of the social. Tsunade quickly agreed to this. She noticed it too, she said. The nurses were lacking the vigor they once had. The building was overcrowded and stunk of dried blood and unexplainable stench. It was a good thing, though, that they had plenty of lots for a cemetery.

- - - - -

Then came the day of the party. Ino awoke to the sounds of chirping birds directly outside her window. She greeted them with a soft whistle and padded silently downstairs. Aki was already awake, munching on a chocolate chip cookie her mother had given him. She patted his brown head as she passed by. The boy smiled widely, showing chocolate-stained teeth. She giggled softly and proceeded to the bathroom to wash her face.

As soon as she was done, she went into the kitchen to help her mother prepare the dozens and dozens of food to be eaten later that night. There was a huge plateful of chocolate muffins, sushi, sashimi, and caramel candies. There were three lemon pies, apple pies, chocolate-frosted cakes, and fruit cakes dripping with caramel on top. She looked at them lovingly and imagined the fascinated faces of the guests as they each took a bite of the yummy desserts.

"Now don't you go day-dreaming again, Ino." Her mother scolded as she mixed a bowl of batter. "There are more things to cook and bake. Wear your apron and let's attack the flour."

Ino smiled and snatched her apron out of the hook it was hung on. This was going to be one busy day.

- - - - -

Shikamaru gave Chouji his share of pea soup. Chouji looked at it with ill contempt, and so did the others. They were thinking of delicious delicacies, not dry bread and watery pea soup. Their stomachs churned as they thought of it all. Their mouths watered.

"What are you doing?" Shikamaru asked, obviously not in the mood to imagine. "Go eat your food before it gets cold."

"I was just thinking of the fun the girls will have..." Chouji said, looking at his bowl mournfully. "They'll have pastries, sweets--"

"Oh stop it!" Kiba scowled. "I'm getting my dose of home-sickness again."

"It won't change a thing..." Shikamaru mumbled. "You're here, not there."

"Haven't you heard?" Lee asked. "They're going to hold a party later! Just think of the dress Sakura-chan will wear!!"

"Sakura-chan's dress..." Naruto muttered. "Pretty." He said, eyes shining.

"No one's told me about it." The pineapple-haired ninja said.

"You mean they didn't write to you about it?"

"No... I don't think so."

Chouji sulked. "You'll think the same way as we do when you read of all of their preparations..."

"I don't think I would..."

Shikamaru finished his soup and began to eat his bread. The others looked at their bowl, shook their heads, and began to eat reluctantly.

- - - - -

Ino slumped down on a chair. She was tired after all the cooking and cleaning they've done. But at least the function hall was now shining like diamonds. Colorful silk curtains hung on every window. The tables were pushed to the side to allow a little bit of dancing for those who wanted to. A stage was set up front. Huge speakers were placed at every corner of the room to ensure that everyone heard it. There was also an electronic booth on one side. Long tables for the pastry shop, juice shop, and deli was arranged in one corner. Flowers, courtesy of the Yamanaka flower shop, were placed everywhere. She managed a weak smile as she looked at the lovely furnishings the four of them had arranged. She then gazed at the wall clock. It was half-past five. The party was to begin at exactly seven o'clock sharp. She must hurry if she wanted to come there before the guests arrived.

- - - - -

Ino arrived just in time to see the first guest enter: the representative of Suna, none other than Temari. She breathed deeply as she fought to recede the fast beat of her heart. As soon as she regained her composure, she went up to Temari with long, quick strides.

Temari greeted her with a casual wave and smile. Ino smiled back and led her to her respective table.

"So how's it going?" The Sand ninja asked. "I hear you've been working in the hospital."

"Work is great... But it's very stressful."

"I hear the pay is good."

"That's not what I applied for." Ino said, smiling. "I just wanted to do something worthwhile."

"While the boys go to war?" Temari chuckled. "Me too. I've been taking care of Gaara's paper works."

"So he's gone too?"

"Of course. He's the Kazekage after all." She sighed. "Even Kankurou."

"So you're left on your own?"

"Kind of... But it's good, in a way..."

"I see."

"I wonder if they've met in the battlefield." Temari mumbled dreamily.

"Who?"

"Gaara, Kankurou, and the others... You know, Shikamaru?"

"Oh, I don't know. He hasn't written to me about it yet." Ino said, shrugging her shoulders. "He hasn't replied to my letters yet. I guess he doesn't have the time or he thinks it troublesome."

"I'm guessing it's the latter." Temari said, sighing. "He hasn't written to _me_ either."

Ino stopped and repeated the jumble of words on her mind. Shikamaru had been writing to Temari all this time and he never told her! How unreasonable! She was completely speechless in shock and rage.

"He even told me about this little thing going on between the two of you." Temari continued, failing to notice Ino. "I'm glad. I thought he'd never settle for a girl after _that._"

And he told Temari! The nerve of him! "Wh-what?" Ino asked, finally finding her voice. "What's _that_?"

Temari stopped walking and looked at Ino, puzzled. "You mean he hasn't told you about it?"

"No-o... He..." _Never told me anything..._ "What happened?"

The Sand ninja looked amused and began to tell the story of when she and Shikamaru had gone on a little mission together on another country. They had been pretty close that time, she said. He was always caring for her like a brother would to his sister.

But Ino heard nothing of this. Not one word. She was too busy rewinding Temari's words on her mind. Her spirits dampened. She felt like she could no longer control her body, that she was nothing but a zombie, walking aimlessly across this huge function hall. Her heart felt heavy and she wanted to cry very much. Only the presence of this foreigner beside her prevented that from happening. It would have been a disgrace if she cried. She must hold her head high.

Finally, the two of them arrived at the ninja's table. Temari laughed contentedly as she finished her little story.

"See you around?" She asked Ino. "I've enjoyed this conversation."

"I guess..."

Ino smiled weakly and hurriedly left. The tears were beginning to flow now.

- - - - -

Sakura fumbled with the strap of her new pink dress. She was obviously nervous as she watched the guests file in one by one. Her eyes shifted from one direction to the other. They were strangers to her, persons she had never seen before, not even in pictures. Tsunade-sama had personally invited them and she, Sakura, knew not how to properly accommodate them. Tsunade-sama had given her this task and there was no way she could back out of it.

She was too absorbed in her thoughts that she failed to feel a person tug on her blouse. She looked up a few seconds later and found a boy about their age looking down at her with the most gorgeous amber eyes. She flushed under his gaze but, thankfully, it was not evident in the darkness of night.

"Ye-yes?" She asked. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"A woman said you were the person who takes care of the guests here." He said in a strong foreign accent, motioning all the while with his hands. "I seem to be lost."

"Lo-lost?" Sakura almost laughed. She wondered how in the world anyone could get lost in a place of that size. "Where are you going?"

"I have some difficulty in finding the men's bathroom." He smiled, showing perfect pearly-whites.

"Oh, I see." She said, nodding her head. "I know where it is. Please follow me."

The boy mumbled a quick thank you and proceeded to follow her across a corridor. The lights were low but sconces on the walls illuminated the hallway, making it look romantic. On the way, the two of them talked about trivial things like life and school. The guy was sleek and cool, paying her compliments every minute or so. Sakura blushed when he threw one to her. He smiled occasionally at her. Sakura was almost sorry when he entered the men's bathroom.

- - - - -

Sakura rushed over to the girls' table. She arrived there, panting and breathless. The three were already there and they watched the dancers intently. It took a minute for them to realize that Sakura was there.

"Oh, so you've finally come!" Tenten said, a twinkle in her eye. "Looks like you've met one of our cute guests, huh?"

Sakura flushed. "He was cute... He really was. But--"

"You shouldn't forget Naruto-kun..." Hinata said, fumbling with her fingers. "It would hurt him so much."

"Of course I won't forget Naruto!" Sakura said. "A person can never forget Naruto."

"Then why were you talking to him..." Ino asked teasingly. "Intimately?"

"I-Ino!"

"It's true! You were in that corner over there, right girls?" The other two nodded. "See? We all saw it. You were in love with him."

"I... I was not!" Sakura said, defending herself. "I was just... I was just... Longing for a guy's company and..."

"You miss them, don't you?" Tenten asked. "Of course you do. You just don't show it."

"Everyone does, Sakura." Ino said, assuring her friend with a pinch on the cheek. "Me too."

"T-try to be s-strong..." Hinata mumbled. "Th-that's what we should do."

Sakura smiled sheepishly. "Of course... I'm sorry."

"It's okay. We can't blame you for flirting with a guy as cute as that!" Ino said dreamily. "Oh, what I would give to have a date with him..."

- - - - -

The party was a success. Everyone, especially the guests, enjoyed every second of it. What is more, they were able to raise enough funds to cover the expense of a new building. The four girls were very happy. Their idea had gotten on very well and they were able to provide a little entertainment for the family whose members were on the battlefield.

The girls lined up near the entrance to personally wave goodbye and thank the guests for their support. Temari went out first and approached Ino.

"I've enjoyed this night." She smiled. "I appreciate you girls for doing this."

Ino smiled back. "I'm glad you liked it."

"Well, I'll have to go now. Papers are still waiting for me back home."

"Goodbye then."

"I hope to see you again sometime... After the war..." She smiled slyly and added, "With Shikamaru and your kids."

Ino flushed scarlet. "Th-that would take many years from now... And you shouldn't expect too much. You know very well what could happen."

"I wouldn't put my hopes up, then. But I'm hoping you would. He needs a woman like you to take care of him."

"Th-thanks..."

"Goodbye."

Ino waved goodbye glibly and watched the Sand ninja's retreating steps.

- - - - -

**Author's Note**: This one's for my other best friend who likes Temari... Haha. :D Review?


	11. Clouds and Rain

The first yellow fingers of the bright dawn appeared on the horizon, illuminating the scene before it. All at once, as if on cue, movement stirred across the village. Roosters began to crow their cock-a-doodle-do's. The birds woke up and began to sing their lovely morning songs. A fresh, cool breeze swept over the village, sending fallen leaves spiraling through the air. Ino awoke to the mellifluous sound of birds directly above her window. She smiled and got out of bed, ready to start the day anew.

Footsteps were heard on the stairs, quick and blithe. A few seconds later, Aki was bounding up to her with a very wide smile on his face. He shoved a chocolate chip cookie on her palm and pointed happily at it.

"Look, Mommy! A chocolate chip cookie!" He bragged. "Nana gave it to me this morning!"

"Oh, did she?" Ino said with a questioning look. "Or did you get it from the cookie jar in the cupboard?"

"She really gave it to me, Mommy! She did! She did!"

"And why would Nana give you a cookie?" She asked, sitting in front of the two-year old boy. "You know you shouldn't have cookies before breakfast."

"Because I helped her pick herbs from her garden." Aki said proudly. "See, Mommy? I'm big boy now!"

Ino smiled and patted the boy's head. "Okay, okay... I guess it's alright."

Aki grinned and ran off down the stairs, shouting again and again that his Mommy liked the cookie. Ino gazed at him as he retreated down the steps. Aki was growing to be a good boy. In a few years' time he would be going to school. How fast time flies...

_Well..._ She thought. _I hope the war ends during that time._

- - - - -

Shikamaru gazed at the clouds floating up the sky overhead. There were thin, wispy cirrus clouds. Huge, cottony cumulus clouds. High cirro-cumulus clouds. There were so many that he was quite feeling good about it. He shifted his weight to his right and gazed at the dozens of ninjas helping each other. He sighed. This was probably a better sight.

While he was lounging in that position, two young ninjas sat down beside him and began to chat. Their voices were excited and clear that he couldn't help but overhear.

"Have you heard the news, Seiichi? We're going home by next week!"

"We've been having stuff like that for years and none of them came true. Now you're telling me this? Shouta, you must be crazy!"

"But it's true! Sensei told me!" Shouta retorted. "He said the enemy has finally raised the white flag! They'll negotiate with them tomorrow!"

"Are you sure?" The other said, excitement rising in his voice. "That means I get to see my family again!.."

"Yeah! And eat better tasting food!"

"And see my fiance!"

"Then marry!"

"And have kids! And--"

"Hey," Shikamaru interjected, rather surprising the two ninjas. "You sure about that?"

"Yes, sir!" The one named Shouta said.

"How can you be sure your Sensei is not lying?"

"Kyota-sensei never lies to us. He said he heard it with his own ears."

"Is that a reliable source?"

"Of course, sir."

Shikamaru turned over on his side. The sounds of chatting and those around him vanished. They were conquered by the sounds of Konoha. He could clearly hear the birds chirping, children running, mothers shouting, water trickling, and the voice of Ino. How he missed that voice! And now, after three long years of battle, he is finally going to see her again... Then there was Aki, the boy Ino wrote of passionately every week! His heart was swelling with untold joy.

He was too absorbed in his fantasies that he did not hear Chouji shuffling beside him. Soon, the boy was beside him. He shook Shikamaru roughly on the shoulders.

"Shikamaru! Shikamaru! Did you hear? Did you hear?"

"Wh-what?" The clouds of fantasy rolled away, revealing the camp once again. "Did you say something?"

"Have you heard of the news?"

"Someone told me about it awhile ago."

"Isn't that exciting? We get to go back to our families! Oh yes! Just the thought of seeing Maia makes me nervous. Does she still like me? Do you think she's changed?" His excitement was evident in his voice. "Or do you think she forgot about me? What do you think, huh, Shikamaru? Huh? Huh? Shikamaru?"

"'Course she won't forget about you... You being a big guy and all..."

"Well, aren't you excited? I mean, you get to see Ino again and the Aki-boy. Isn't that something to look forward to?"

"Bah." Shikamaru sat up and yawned. "You can never be sure about those ninjas. They might be planning something, you know? And then there's the possibility that--"

But his words were unheeded as Chouji pointed to a tall and lanky man walking up toward them. He was wearing his usual attire but there was something about him that was changed. Both boys knew that there was a smile drawn across his face though it was hidden by his mask. Shikamaru's heart beat wildly as each step brought the man nearer to them.

"Yo." Hatake Kakashi greeted them. "You guys mind if I sit with you for a while?"

The two boys moved sidewards to give him some space which he thankfully accepted.

"What a hot day." The ninja commented. "I can just feel the sweat trickling down my back."

"You got something to say." Shikamaru said. "Go on and say it."

"Shikamaru!" Chouji said, slapping his friend on the back. "The element of surprise!"

"Bah. If you got something to say, say it now. I don't care about surprises..."

"Okay, okay." Kakashi said. "I will... The two of you probably heard about the rumors going on around, huh? So here's what it is. The com--"

"Rumors!" Chouji exclaimed. "Does that mean they're not true?"

"Not really... They were partly true, anyway. As I was saying, the commander of the Rain ninjas went here in our camp late last night. He said that they were running out of supplies and men so they've decided to surrender. The other men did not believe him and tried to kill him but the commander showed them the seal of their leader and we all knew that he was telling the truth. Then we arranged for a meeting tomorrow so that we could settle the final verdict."

"So it's officially done?" Shikamaru asked dryly.

"Yes."

"When are we allowed to go home?" Chouji asked. "Next week?"

"I'm not really sure since the negotiations might take long. Then there's the issue of settling who gets the land and such and such..."

"When?"

"Probably day after tomorrow if everything's going to be fine."

"That quick?" Shikamaru asked. "I thought it would take a month."

"Usually does but this one's sort of special. They wanted to make everything swift and easy... Well, boys, I gotta go. You two better start packing and writing letters to those in Konoha. They'll simply go wild." He said with both a wink and a gesture of his hands. "Well, I've taken long enough. See you around then."

Kakashi walked away. Chouji also stood up and went to his tent to begin packing his things, mumbling lists as he went. Shikamaru lay down again and placed his hands on the back of his head. He was having doubts about the whole thing but he didn't want to say so. Also, what if it was all true and he was mistaken? He accepted this thought but even if he did, he still felt a hollow feeling inside, as if something is bound to happen that night.

- - - - -

Ino ran down for breakfast. Aki was already seated on his chair, munching his cereals. He smiled at his Mommy. Ino, of course, smiled back. She sat down on her chair and smelled a delicious aroma of soup that wafted from the kitchen.

"Mmm... Mom, what are you cooking?" She asked eagerly. "Something special?"

"Not really, dear. Just one of your father's favorites."

"Oh... Now I'm hungry."

"When is Papa coming?" Aki asked in between mouthfuls. "When, Mommy? When?"

"I don't know, dear." She patted his hair. "I wish I knew."

"Doesn't he write to you, Mommy?"

"He does but he never says when he's coming back."

"Papa is rude." Aki said it with feeling.

Ino smiled. "Why, baby? How can you say that?"

"Because he doesn't say."

"That's okay, Aki. I know he'll come back."

"How do you know, Mommy? How?"

"I just know..." She pointed at her heart. "Here. Now you should believe that too."

"But, Mommy... It doesn't know."

"Your Papa is gonna find you troublesome."

"Why, Mommy? What's trobersam? Is that a new toy?"

Ino smiled and placed some soup on her bowl, ignoring Aki's questions. There would be no end to them if she answered all of them. Her mother also filled her bowl and the three of them ate in silence. Suddenly,

"Mommy," Aki said innocently. "Where's your Papa? Kurama said his Papa up there..." He pointed at the ceiling above. "Is his Papa really there? Why do they keep him there? Did he do something bad? Did he? Huh? Huh?"

Ino chuckled and glanced a knowing look at her mom. "No, honey, Kurama's Papa isn't there. He's in a better place with my Papa."

"Where's the better place, Mommy? And how do you get there? How, Mommy?"

"Well... Let's see... You have to be a good boy."

"Mommy, are there vegetables in the better place? Are there, Mommy?"

"I don't know."

"I don't want to go there if there are vegetables, Mommy. Vegetables don't taste good."

"Now you let your Mommy eat first." Ino's mother said. "She'll go to work later."

"Why must Mommy go to work, Nana?" Aki asked, slurping the last of his milk. "Why, Nana?"

"So she could buy you toys."

"But she buys me toys I don't like."

"You ought to like them since your Mommy gave them to you."

"Why must I like them, Nana? Why, Nana?"

"Because your Mommy worked for them."

"Why must she work, Nana? Why?"

"Oh, stop asking questions for goodness' sake, Aki! Now you go off to your bedroom and play!"

Aki exited his chair and ran to his bedroom. Ino and her mother began a conversation of what they would cook for lunch that day. They were about to decide for a certain dish when, suddenly, Aki's head popped out of his bedroom.

"Why must I stop asking questions, Mommy? Why, Mommy?"

- - - - -

Ino closed the door of Room 501 and shuffled down the darkened corridor. That was the last of her list of patients for the day. Finally, she could get out of this dank place and get some fresh air. Maybe even some sunshine on her pale skin too.

However, when she rounded the bend where the stairs was, she saw that the sky had begun to darken completely and rain clouds were threatening to roll over on the village. She stared at them in wonder and then suddenly remembered a leak in the roof. If she would go now, she'll just make it in time before the rain falls completely. On impulse, she ran down the stairs and corridors, dodging nurses and patients as she went.

Hurriedly, she deposited her suit on the locker room and ran outside. The clouds were directly overhead. She frowned and fled, jumping on roofs and posts.

Finally, a few minutes later, she was in front of their house. She left her things on the couch and gathered the tools she'll be needing. Then she climbed up on the roof, securing her footing first above all else. She then went to work.

Women were already outside, gathering up their laundry before the rain came. Her mother also went outside and gathered theirs, having Aki help her. Ino looked down and smiled at them. The two waved back and her mother shouted a thank you. Then, she went back to work.

- - - - -

It was almost six and all the men were asleep, all of them except for Shikamaru. They had been sent to bed early today for no reason at all. He had been awake for a full two hours and no sleep came into his being. He was too nervous to be able to. Beside his tent was Chouji's. He could hear, loud and clear, the snores. He knew that his friend was probably dreaming of Konoha by now. He sat up in bed and re-read Ino's letters from the first year up till now. He found them rather entertaining and the time passed by without him knowing. Soon, it was dark. The first star shone all by itself in the huge night sky.

Had he been imagining it, he did not know. But he somehow knew he saw a glimpse of someone walking past his tent with a torch in hand.

_Probably one of the night guards._ He reasoned. _But that doesn't seem likely. They almost never pass by here. They just stay around the borders... And there's no need for patrols either. What with the war ending and all... I might just be paranoid about the whole thing._

Shikamaru lay back down on his bed. Sleep came easily now. He was about to delve into a wondrous dream when he suddenly heard a mysterious rustling in front of his tent. Carefully, he bent down to look. At first, it was rather dark, but as his eyes adjusted to the dim lights of the torches, his heart beat wildly.

- - - - -

"Phew!" Ino said, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "Thank goodness I'm finished!"

As soon as she said that, she felt a rain drop fall on her shoulder. She looked up and felt another. And another. And another. It had begun. She gathered up her tools quickly and jumped down the roof, careful of course with her footing. She ran inside the house for warmth.

- - - - -

There before his eyes was a group of Rain ninjas. They appeared to be in deep conversation. A single candle stood in their midst. A piece of paper of some sort was spread also in their midst. They were careful to talk in low voices. Shikamaru dared not breathe lest he be found out and possibly killed. He turned back to his things and took out both paper and pen. He began to scribble a few notes feverishly. He would send it to Konoha, no matter what happens, to let them know what really happened. As soon as he finished scribbling, he tucked the note into his pocket and looked outside once more.

The men had not yet gone. They were still deep in conversation. Shikamaru moved closer and was able to see better. He knew some of them as high-ranking ninjas in the Rain Country. He had even fought some of them. However, one particular face struck him hard. The face of Uchiha Sasuke. Whatever was he doing here?

- - - - -

Ino cozied up with Aki on the sofa. She wrapped a warm blanket around them both. The little boy grinned happily and thanked his Mommy. She then proceeded to give him his cup of hot chocolate which he sipped eagerly.

Outside, the rain was pattering madly on the windows. Ino was thankful that they were inside, safe and sound, from the rain's wrath.

- - - - -

Two complete hours had passed since Shikamaru first spotted the Rain ninjas. They still had not changed their positions and were still talking to each other. Shikamaru's legs ached from his position. He clutched the paper on his pocket tightly.

- - - - -

Ino tucked the now sleeping Aki on his bed. He had fallen asleep on the sofa and spilled a few drops of chocolate on the living room carpet. She sat down beside him and stroked his brown hair slowly. The little boy stirred and opened his green eyes.

"Oh, Aki... Have I woken you up?"

"Mommy..." The little boy clutched at her sleeves tightly. "I'm scared."

"Of what, dear?"

"The lightning, Mommy... It's so loud and big and flashy!"

"Don't worry, baby. It'll pass... It'll pass..."

- - - - -

It was twelve midnight. The clouds had blotted out the moon, making it very dark. Two hours ago, the men had gone off stealthily. Shikamaru had slept unconsciously for three hours. He shook himself awake and peeked out of the tent. He cursed himself when he saw that the men were gone. He thought of going out and searching for them but decided against this. He would only reveal his position. The best option seemed to him was to stay put. So he stayed where he was.

- - - - -

Two more hours passed. Nothing seemed to happen... Yet. Shikamaru was certain he heard a muffled scream somewhere in the camp. He took a deep breath and crept slowly and carefully to Chouji's tent. He shook his friend hard.

"Chouji! Chouji! Wake up!" Shikamaru hissed in his ear. "The enemy's in the camp! Hurry! Wake up! We must tell the others!"

"Go away..." Chouji mumbled. "I'm still sleepy."

"Chouji! Come on! It's not the time to doze off!"

Chouji did not stir again. Shikamaru sighed and figured that he would have to do this on his own. Stealthily, he crept up to every tent and did the same thing. He was rejected most of the time but some woke up and followed him, also warning the others about the oncoming attack. However, they were too small a group to cover most of the army.

- - - - -

Thirty minutes later, the real battle began. Shouts rang out from every corner that the enemy had come in. Fires were raging everywhere. Groans from unprepared individuals vibrated through the air. Shikamaru and the others did all they can to ward off the enemies. Several Akatsuki members were spotted among the Rain ninjas. Sasuke Uchiha was one of them too, together with his group of three: Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo.

- - - - -

Shikamaru ran wildly through the men, shielding attacks as he did so. He was searching for someone. He urged his legs to go further and further. He was growing weary from his night watch. The sight before him blurred and he almost stumbled once or twice. Thanks to the men around him, though, he was kept from being attacked and killed.

Finally, after thirty minutes of non-stop running, he found who he was looking for. The boy named Shouta. He jumped up to the boy and pulled him away from the battlefield.

"S-sir!" The confused boy stuttered. "Wh-what do you want?"

Shikamaru pushed the note into the boy's hand. "I want you to deliver this to Konoha. Yamanaka Ino, to be exact. Run now before anyone sees you! Hurry up!"

"But sir... The war... And my comrades..."

"I'll see to it that they return home safely. Now hurry up and go!"

Shouta nodded, somewhat confusedly, and ran off into the woods. Shikamaru watched his back, as promised.

_Please get there safe... Get there safe..._

- - - - -

Ino could not sleep that night for a reason she could not understand. She had laid down in her bed all night but sleep would not enter her being. It seemed as if something was hindering it. Sighing, she stood up and walked downstairs. She was rather bored and wanted to at least see something else.

Lightning flashed in the sky, illuminating the darkened room. Ino sat down on the couch and reached for a picture frame. She smoothed out the dust on the glass and looked at the picture intently. It had been taken two years ago, that Team 10 picture. She smiled at the vivid memories running like a movie reel through her mind.

A loud peal of thunder in the sky. Shattered glass. Ino groped down the carpet for the picture. She felt warm blood on her fingers and looked at them intently as the red fluid oozed out of the glass wounds. She felt a shiver run down her spine. Suddenly, it began to rain extra hard.

- - - - -

Shikamaru dashed from left to right, dodging attacks as he went. The onslaught had started five hours ago and he was simply tired out. He missed the feel of a soft feather bed behind his back. The clang of metal. He was just in time to shield a deadly attack. He pushed the enemy away and ran impulsively. Suddenly, there was the feel of the earth shaking. He stopped dead in his tracks and listened to the loud rumble that was getting nearer and nearer. Before he knew what it was, it was too late...

"Bomb!" He shouted as the ground cracked and a huge explosion was heard... Then... Everything turned white.

- - - - -

**Author's Note**: Probably the longest chapter I ever wrote... Next chapter might come next week or on Saturday. It depends... Anyway, read and review.


	12. Fin

It was eight in the morning, the morning after the ambush. Small fires were still burning on some areas where the Rain ninjas had perhaps forgotten to extinguish them. All the tents have been burned to the ground. Arrows were stuck on the hard ground. Bodies were strewn everywhere. The Rain ninjas were flooding down on them, searching for the spoils of victory and of war.

Most of the ninjas were still barely alive and whenever the Rain ninjas found them, they would strike them dead on the spot. They had been given orders not to let anyone live. No one was spared, except maybe for those who escaped freely while the onslaught went on.

A man was among them, ripened with time and age. His face was flushed in the heat of the early morning sun beating down on them all. He worked laboriously with the other ninjas, walking along the blood-filled land.

Some years back, a youth had told him to go home back to his country but he paid it no heed, thinking that it was foolish of the young man to tell him so. But now he knew why the youth had warned him. Death was everywhere. On the land. On the men. On their hearts. A year ago, his eldest son had perished because of an incurable disease, side effects of bombs created by the other side. Now he himself was suffering from it. Effects of the war. He wiped the sweat off of his brow with the back of his hand and coughed heavily. After this fit, he again began to browse through the men on the ground. A green flak jaket caught his attention. He furrowed his forehead and knelt down to see it more clearly. Blood had mostly hidden the face of the young man but he knew it well. Very well. He will never ever forget that face. He looked around to see if no one was looking, and when he was sure, he carried the body over his back and walked with it back to the forest.

He laid the body on the ground and began to examine it. The dark wiry hair. Green flak jacket. Two silver earrings. There was no doubt about it. He placed his ear near the youth's chest and could hear raspy breathing. He let out a sigh of relief. At least he was still alive.

- - - - -

There were loud knocks on the door. Ino stood up, quite annoyed, from her chair where she had been enjoying a good breakfast. She wondered who would knock so loudly early in the morning. She turned the knob and opened the door. A young man staggered in, panting and bleeding from a wound. Her eyes widened and she knelt down. He shoved into her hands a blood-drenched letter.

"It's for you... Miss Ino, right? Shikamaru-sama wants to give it to you..." He panted and pressed his hand over the wound. "I was chased in the forest but I... I threw them off my... My path."

"You need medical help." Ino said, standing up and taking some medical supplies from a nearby drawer. She then helped him sit up and dressed his wounds carefully. "So what exactly happened?"

"There was the news of a peace treaty but it wasn't true after all. The Rain ninjas went into our camp early in the morning... Shikamaru-sama saw it coming but he didn't say..." He stopped for breath. Aki handed him a glass of water. "Thanks, kid... He didn't say because he might upset us..."

"Sounds like Shikamaru..." Ino muttered. "So what's in the letter?"

"I don't know... Maybe something he wants to say to you. I'm not really sure."

Ino understood and went on dressing the youth's wounds. Letter reading would have to be saved for later.

- - - - -

Ino held Aki's hand tightly as they walked along the crowded streets of Konoha. A new mall had opened and they were opening a sale. One can never blame a girl for spending so much, especially during a sale. She wanted to buy more clothes for Aki because he was fast outgrowing his other garments. She also wanted to purchase a new coat for her and her mother. The old ones just wouldn't do.

As they rounded a bend, she noticed a group of women crowding around a wall. They seemed to be looking at a notice pasted on the wall. There were sounds of hysterical laughter and crying. She walked closer and her heart thumped loudly with every step she took. She gripped Aki's hand more tightly as they entered the circle. A woman was sitting on the ground, staring at nothing. She was suffering from shock, Ino knew... But from what? Another woman was leaning on the shoulder of her companion for support. She was obviously crying. Ino walked closer and saw what the reason was. Her heart nearly stopped.

On the wall was pasted a notice with the headline, "**List of Ninjas: MIA and KIA**". Underneath it were two separate columns, for those missing in action and for killed in action. Ino stared at the paper and read every name on the list. She felt her heart beat faster. Then she noticed for the first time another sheet of paper. This was entitled, "**List of Survivors**". She smiled as she read the list. Most of her friends were there, except for one. Shikamaru. She looked at the other list and read the MIA column. At least she would be relieved if she found his name written there. There was still a 50 chance that he was alive. But his name was not there. She shifted her gaze to the KIA column and found in the bottom of the paper, scrawled in pencil _his name_. A tear coursed down her cheeks. She gripped Aki's hand tightly. Aki looked up at his Mommy.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" He asked innocently. "Is something wrong?"

Ino smiled down at him and wiped her eyes. "No... There was just dust in my eyes, Aki. Come, come... Let's go. It's almost time."

- - - - -

No one dared speak to Ino about Shikamaru for the next days that followed. Even Sakura was silent and wouldn't talk to her. Ino wasn't also allowed to go to the homecoming that followed a week later. Her mother knew it would hurt so much to see loved ones reunited to one another and hers wouldn't come back at all. She didn't even have the chance to see his body for one last time. They had been burned on the spot. Ino kept quiet most of the time and spoke only to Aki who was faithful and was always there for his Mommy.

The boys had arrived safely but were somehow wounded. Chouji had suffered a somewhat severe stomachache. Neji had come back limping but Tenten still greeted him back with a warm embrace to which he responded with a curt nod. Akamaru had grown three inches taller and Kiba was very proud of it, boasting about it to everyone. Kakashi had grown considerably in his character.

Naruto and Sakura's wedding, plus Hinata and Shino's, were scheduled four weeks after the boys had arrived. There was excitement in the air and everyone in Konoha was happy. Sakura had her dress done two years ago but it was still good as new. Hinata, on the other hand, had hers done a week before the boys came home.

During the wedding, Naruto was obviously nervous while Shino was cool verging on to passive. Everyone agreed that the wedding was nicely done and that the food was scrumptious.

Neji and Tenten got married a little later: a year after the most-awaited homecoming.

Through all these events, Ino came. She watched the happy faces of the blushing brides and the proud stance of the grooms. She longed to see her day come but seeing that it would not be, she stopped dreaming altogether... Although, of course, in her heart, there would always be the undying place for a certain lazy bum somewhere out there...

- - - - -

Ino placed the last paper crane on the river and let it float away. She stood up and clutched Aki's hand again. The two of them watched as the cranes joined the flow of the mighty river. Four years had passed since the war ended. Everyone and everything was in complete harmony, except for her who still felt that dull pain in her heart. Aki had always asked every year when his Papa would come but she did not know how to reply properly. She would only reply with a curt nod and a smile.

"Aki," She said as the cranes rounded the bend. "Do you know the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin?"

"No, Mommy. Tell me about it."

"Once there was a town called Hamelin. It was infested with rats and the villagers did not know how to get rid of them. One day, a piper came to their town and promised that the rats would be gone by the next day. The promise was fulfilled and the rodents were gone by the next day but..." Her eyes looked at the setting sun. "...The villagers refused to pay him and he took away the villagers' children, all of them. He piped and the children followed wherever he went, pirouetting to his every wish. However, two children failed to follow and told the villagers... They were forlorn and... And..." A tear made its way down her cheek. "And the children never came back."

"Does that happen, Mommy? Does that happen in Konoha?"

Ino smiled down at him and nodded. "It happened, Aki. It already did."

Ino stared back at the horizon and watched as the breeze took the clouds away to the far reaches of the north. The sky was tinted with orange and yellow, with just a tinge of pink and purple. The far-away mountains were spotted with blue and white icings of frost. It was beautiful and breath-taking but she chose not to see this. Instead, she saw the cruelty of war in this day four years ago when her lover had been stolen away... She barely felt Aki's hand free from hers and was dimly aware of his screams.

"Papa!" Aki shouted repeatedly, arms outstretched. "Papa! Papa!"

Ino turned around and saw... With her own two eyes. The man she knew all her life, sitting there on the hill, embracing Aki. His hair was still dark and wiry. Eyes still as brown as they were years ago when she last saw him. But there was a difference about him. He was changed. He stood up and looked at her, grinning slyly. Ino couldn't stop the tears from flowing then. They continued to flow and flow and flow.

"Shi-Shikamaru..." She mumbled. "Is it... Is it really you?"

Shikamaru walked up to her, took her in his arms, and gave her a kiss. She felt as if she had tasted the very air of heaven as she was in his tight embrace. He looked down at her and stroked her blonde hair.

"Was that proof enough?" He asked, eyes shining with joy.

- - - - -

_The war against the Hidden Village of Rain and the neighboring countries lasted for three long years. immediately after this, the countries signed a peace treaty and peace reigned in the continent. Around three hundred thousand Rain ninjas died in the three-year war. Six hundred thousand died from the other neighboring countries._

_Shikamaru was taken care of by the man whom he saved. He was taken in the mountain and was proclaimed dead to protect him from further danger. The man died a month later because of the disease and since then, Shikamaru lived on his own. He roamed the continent in search for his own country for three and a half years._

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_Fin._

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**Credits**

Readers and reviewers - Thanks for the support

.butterfly. - For saying that I should have more reviews than those I have now

CatGirl R & S Fan - For pointing out the NejiTen disappearance... :D

L.M. Montgomery - For creating the character of Walter Blythe

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**Author's note**: The story ends here. The numbers written above were only guessed by me. Haha. Well, what do you think of the ending? Any comments? Suggestions? Or violent reactions? Review... :D


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